Heavy-ion physics studies for the Future Circular Collider

• Published in: Nuclear physics. A Vol. 931; pp. 1163 - 1168
• Main Authors: Armesto, N., Dainese, A., d'Enterria, D., Masciocchi, S., Roland, C., Salgado, C.A., van Leeuwen, M., Wiedemann, U.A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-11-2014
• Subjects: Future Circular Collider; Gluon saturation; Heavy ions; Quark–gluon plasma; Future Circular Collider; Heavy ions; Gluon saturation; Quark–gluon plasma
• ISSN: 0375-9474
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nuclphysa.2014.09.067

The Future Circular Collider (FCC) design study is aimed at assessing the physics potential and the technical feasibility of a new collider with centre-of-mass energies, in the hadron–hadron collision mode including proton and nucleus beams, more than seven times larger than the nominal LHC energies. An electron–positron collider in the same tunnel is also considered as an intermediate step, which in the long term would allow for electron–hadron collisions. First ideas on the physics opportunities with heavy ions at the FCC are presented, covering the physics of quark–gluon plasma, gluon saturation, photon-induced collisions, as well as connections with the physics of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.