Last Friday, the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) ran its final particles, marking the end of an era for one of the most powerful particle colliders in the world, just behind the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN. But there’s no need for concern—this shutdown is actually good news. RHIC is taking a “break” as the Brookhaven National Laboratory prepares for its successor, the Electron-Ion Collider (EIC).
These plans have brought a wave of excitement. Brookhaven’s updates on the EIC have been sparse over the last couple of years, but recent announcements confirm the project is moving forward. Government support remains steady, which is great news for particle physics in the U.S. If all goes well, by the mid-2030s, scientists will be ready to tackle new challenges in understanding the universe.
“I’m excited to reach the finish line,” said Travis Shrey, a scientist at Brookhaven involved in RHIC’s last run. “It’ll be good to sleep well for a while.”
The RHIC, operational since 2000 in Upton, New York, explored the strong force that holds quarks together inside atoms. While the U.S. has several active particle accelerators—like those at Fermilab in Illinois—RHIC stood out for its ability to collide heavier particles, such as gold ions. This ability sets it apart from many accelerators that typically shoot particles at fixed targets.
When it was active, RHIC was the only collider operating in the U.S. Its shutdown coincides with the LHC, which will also go offline soon to prepare for the High-Luminosity LHC. This moment is a bit of a pause for particle physics rather than a full stop.
Throughout its run, RHIC made several groundbreaking discoveries. It was the first facility to produce quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter believed to exist just after the Big Bang. Just two days before its final shutdown, it characterized how certain particle spins can create visible matter from quantum vacuums.
Notably, RHIC’s final run was its longest, yielding the most data it has ever collected. Analyzing this data will keep physicists busy for at least another decade. “The science will continue until we analyze all the data and publish all the papers,” said Abhay Deshpande, Brookhaven’s associate director for nuclear and particle physics.
The EIC aims to build on RHIC’s legacy by using remnants of its components, including ion sources and superconducting magnets. This new collider will feature a 2.4-mile (1.8 km) accelerator ring and advanced detectors to produce 3D images of particles moving at nearly the speed of light. Deshpande believes this research will transform our understanding of matter, much like what RHIC has achieved.
In a broader context, with advancements in technology and techniques, the future of particle physics is looking more promising than ever. The transition from RHIC to EIC symbolizes an ongoing commitment to explore the fundamental building blocks of the universe.
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Brookhaven National Laboratory,Particle physics
