CERN scientists have successfully created a quark-gluon plasma (QGP) by colliding atomic nuclei. This state of matter, which briefly existed in the early universe, is characterized by the delocalization of quarks and gluons, which are normally confined within protons and neutrons. Recreating this plasma in the laboratory allows for the study of the properties of the strong interaction under extreme conditions of temperature and density.

QGP is a state of matter where quarks and gluons, the fundamental constituents of hadrons, move freely instead of being confined. This phenomenon is predicted by quantum chromodynamics (QCD) at extremely high temperatures and energy densities. Research in this field seeks to better understand the nature of the strong force and the evolution of the universe in its first microseconds, when the universe is believed to have been dominated by this plasma.

The generation of this plasma at CERN was achieved by colliding heavy nuclei at speeds close to that of light. These experiments allow physicists to probe the properties of nuclear matter under extreme conditions, providing crucial data to refine theoretical models of QCD and early universe cosmology.