Pushing the Limits of Quark-Gluon Plasma Formation

The Quark-Gluon Plasma is a high temperature state of matter where quarks and gluons are no longer bound in hadrons. The QGP as created in relativistic heavy ion collisions displays some remarkable properties including near perfect fluidity. Recent experiments have revealed similar signatures in collisions of smaller systems, including proton-proton and proton-nucleus reactions, and challenge our understanding of the requirements for QGP formation.