sPHENIX is a state-of-the-art experiment at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Lab. The primary scientific objective of the sPHENIX collaboration is to study the properties of the Quark-Gluon Plasma through precise measurements of hard probes within p + p, p+Au, and Au+Au collisions. Notably, sPHENIX can provide measurements in the low transverse momentum region and offer kinematic overlap with the experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. The scientific pursuits of sPHENIX encompass a quartet of central themes: jet and photon physics, upsilon spectroscopy, open heavy flavor, and the realm of cold quantum chromodynamics. This proceeding elucidates the experiment’s overarching scientific mission, expounds upon its ingeniously crafted detector design, and delineates the paramount performance criteria that underpin its operation. Conclusively, a glimpse into the anticipated outcomes of select measurements is also proffered for consideration.
Weihu Ma (2026) studied this question.