PHENIX (Pioneering High Energy Nuclear Interactions Experimental Research)

PHENIX (Pioneering High Energy Nuclear Interactions Experimental Research) is a scientific experiment conducted at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) to study the fundamental properties of matter under extreme conditions. By colliding heavy ions like gold nuclei at near-light speeds, PHENIX investigates how quarks and gluons—building blocks of protons and neutrons—behave when they form a hot, dense state known as the quark-gluon plasma. This research helps scientists understand the early universe moments after the Big Bang and the fundamental forces that govern matter at the smallest scales.