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New particle detector passes the “standard candle” test, on track to reveal properties of primordial quark-gluon plasma that sprung into existence in the few microseconds following the Big Bang
A powerful new particle detector, sPHENIX, just passed a critical test in its goal to decipher the ingredients of the early universe. The detector made a key measurement that proves it has the precision to help piece together the primordial properties of quark-gluon plasma.
“With this strong foundation, sPHENIX is well-positioned to advance the study of the quark-gluon plasma with greater precision and improved resolution,” adds Hao-Ren Jheng, a graduate student in physics at MIT and a lead co-author of the new paper. The sPHENIX detector is able to catch and measure 15,000 particle collisions per second, thanks to its novel, layered components, including the MVTX, or micro-vertex — a subdetector that was designed, built, and installed by scientists at MIT’s Bates Research and Engineering Center. “SPHENIX takes advantage of developments in detector technology since RHIC switched on 25 years ago, to collect data at the fastest possible rate,” says MIT postdoc Cameron Dean, who was a main contributor to the new study’s analysis.
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