quark-gluon plasma

The quark-gluon plasma is a state of matter theorized to have existed in the first microsecond after the Big Bang when the universe was extremely hot and dense. In this state, subatomic particles called quarks and the gluons that bind them were not confined within particles like protons and neutrons but existed freely. This is analogous to how familiar plasma forms when conditions are too energetic for electrons to remain bound to atomic nuclei.1

Cosmology studies the origin and evolution of the universe. Theories about the early universe, such as inhomogeneous nucleosynthesis, propose that the distribution of protons and neutrons might have been uneven after the quark-gluon plasma cooled and transitioned into more familiar matter. Research into quark-gluon plasma is ongoing, with experiments at facilities like CERN and Brookhaven National Laboratory aiming to recreate these conditions to better understand the early universe and the fundamental forces that govern it. This research highlights the growing connection between particle physics and cosmology.21