Abhay L. Deshpande (Stony Brook U): Understanding the Glue That Binds us All: The Science of the future Electron Ion Collider (EIC)

A high-luminosity high-energy polarized electron-hadron collider is being built at Brookhaven National Laboratory in partnership with Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (TJNAF), and will operate in the next decade. The EIC will collide polarized electron-proton (and also some light nuclei) and also electrons on unpolarized nuclei over a Center of Mass energy range between 20-100 GeV (upgradable to 140 GeV). The EIC will use one of the beams of the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) currently operational at BNL with a new electron beam complex planned to be laid out in the existing RHIC tunnel. When operational it will be the first polarized electron-proton and also the first electron-nucleus collider in the world. An unprecedented scientific program deemed “ Compelling, Fundamental and Timely“ by US The National Academy of Sciences is planned is being planned. It will include 1) understanding the origin of mass of the proton (and neutrons) — the fundamental building blocks of the visible universe, 2) understanding the origin of proton’s spin and 3) the study of a novel state of gluon matter (color glass condensate) predicted – but never experimentally verified – in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). An experimental collaboration ePIC is finalizing the design of a brand new detector, with significant international contributions and in particular also from Japan. In this talk I will present the science and status of the project.