Probing the Gluonic Structure Of Matter: Science of The Electron Ion Collider Original Research Article

In spite of the great stride we have made in over the past few decades, towards understanding the universe around us, we know surprisingly little about the fundamental structure of matter which makes the universe. How do quarks and gluons form the nucleons? How does the nucleon acquire its properties? A high energy high luminosity polarized electron-proton/ion collider will allow precision study of the fundamental structure of matter, with focus on the role partons play in forming and imparting properties to the nucleons and the nuclei including their internal dynamics. Such measurements are expected to address some of the most fundamental and universal aspects of QCD, the accepted theory of physics that relates to the interactions between quarks and gluons inside the nucleons and nuclei. Two proposals are being developed in the US: first, with the addition of an electron beam facility next to the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory and have e-A/p collisions, and the other, to add a nuclear beam facility to complement the existing CEBAF facility at Jefferson Laboratory. This is a brief overview of the science and the project.