Frank Geurts
@frankgeurts.bsky.social
a physics professor at Rice University in Houston, TX combining his favorite two hobbies: high energy nuclear & particle physics, and raising 2 kids - ok, 3 including myself … also, an x-pat
The last STAR collider data have been collected. The end of STAR collider ops, a 25yr long era! Next, keeping fingers crossed for the final of our fixed-target program in January!
Below, our last daily 10am operations meeting (note that all subdetectors have already been shutdown at that time)
Below, our last daily 10am operations meeting (note that all subdetectors have already been shutdown at that time)
December 9, 2025 at 12:32 AM
The last STAR collider data have been collected. The end of STAR collider ops, a 25yr long era! Next, keeping fingers crossed for the final of our fixed-target program in January!
Below, our last daily 10am operations meeting (note that all subdetectors have already been shutdown at that time)
Below, our last daily 10am operations meeting (note that all subdetectors have already been shutdown at that time)
Reposted by Frank Geurts
Quark-gluon plasma, a bizarre state of matter that mimics the early cosmos, is the hottest thing ever made on Earth
Primordial Particle Soup Is Hottest Matter Ever Created on Earth at 3.3 Trillion Degrees
Quark-gluon plasma, a bizarre state of matter that mimics the early cosmos, is the hottest thing ever made on Earth
www.scientificamerican.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Quark-gluon plasma, a bizarre state of matter that mimics the early cosmos, is the hottest thing ever made on Earth
Nice interview with @physicsworld.bsky.social physicsworld.com/a/hints-of-a...
Hints of a boundary between phases of nuclear matter found at RHIC – Physics World
STAR collaboration homes in on critical point for quark–gluon plasma
physicsworld.com
October 11, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Nice interview with @physicsworld.bsky.social physicsworld.com/a/hints-of-a...
Reposted by Frank Geurts
In a major advance for nuclear physics, the STAR Detector at RHIC has spotted hints of a critical point in the phase diagram of nuclear matter. 🧪⚛️ ow.ly/hwBe50X92SA
Hints of a boundary between phases of nuclear matter found at RHIC – Physics World
STAR collaboration homes in on critical point for quark–gluon plasma
ow.ly
October 9, 2025 at 3:34 PM
In a major advance for nuclear physics, the STAR Detector at RHIC has spotted hints of a critical point in the phase diagram of nuclear matter. 🧪⚛️ ow.ly/hwBe50X92SA
New results from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory ...
The strong nuclear force may abruptly loosen its grip on the fundamental particles that make up matter at a special “critical point” – researchers are now getting a clearer picture of when that point is reached
Physicists are uncovering when nature’s strongest force falters
The strong nuclear force may abruptly loosen its grip on the fundamental particles that make up matter at a special “critical point” – researchers are now getting a clearer picture of when that point is reached
www.newscientist.com
October 11, 2025 at 9:09 PM
New results from the STAR experiment at the Relativistic Heavy-ion Collider at Brookhaven National Laboratory ...
The Heart of Matter ... #Rice's longstanding involvement at #CERN.
I still remember my first trip to #CERN (as undergraduate at Utrecht University) ... 35 years ago!
youtu.be/_RIZXR1dREM?...
I still remember my first trip to #CERN (as undergraduate at Utrecht University) ... 35 years ago!
youtu.be/_RIZXR1dREM?...
Rice University at CERN: Unlocking the Origins of the Universe
YouTube video by Rice University
youtu.be
October 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
The Heart of Matter ... #Rice's longstanding involvement at #CERN.
I still remember my first trip to #CERN (as undergraduate at Utrecht University) ... 35 years ago!
youtu.be/_RIZXR1dREM?...
I still remember my first trip to #CERN (as undergraduate at Utrecht University) ... 35 years ago!
youtu.be/_RIZXR1dREM?...
Goodmorning. A very nice view while having my morning coffee: Au+Au collisions at#RHIC by the @RHIC_STAR experiment.
July 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Goodmorning. A very nice view while having my morning coffee: Au+Au collisions at#RHIC by the @RHIC_STAR experiment.
Congratulations @RHIC_STAR ... 25 years ago we took our first Au+Au collisions #RHIC at #BNL.
www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf...
www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf...
www.bnl.gov
June 13, 2025 at 8:21 PM
Congratulations @RHIC_STAR ... 25 years ago we took our first Au+Au collisions #RHIC at #BNL.
www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf...
www.bnl.gov/bnlweb/pubaf...
It’s been a while, and the little set-back turned out to be a “little bit” bigger. But, keeping fingers crossed, tonight we @RHIC_STAR expect Au+Au collisions at top #RHIC energy: the continuation of Run-25!
www.bnl.gov/newsroom/new...
www.bnl.gov/newsroom/new...
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) Enters 25th and Final Run
Run 25 will complete RHIC science program and provide crucial insights for the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC)
www.bnl.gov
June 8, 2025 at 8:54 PM
It’s been a while, and the little set-back turned out to be a “little bit” bigger. But, keeping fingers crossed, tonight we @RHIC_STAR expect Au+Au collisions at top #RHIC energy: the continuation of Run-25!
www.bnl.gov/newsroom/new...
www.bnl.gov/newsroom/new...
"The Traces We Leave" ... designing detectors for nuclear and particle physics. Rice University's School of Natural Sciences is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
Milestones in Science Designing Detectors for Nuclear and Particle Physics
Insert page summary here
naturalsciences.rice.edu
May 7, 2025 at 11:00 PM
"The Traces We Leave" ... designing detectors for nuclear and particle physics. Rice University's School of Natural Sciences is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
It’s a wrap! The STAR Collaboration group photo in front of the QuarkMatter 2025 conference center.
Congratulations to all on your excellent talks and posters!!
Congratulations to all on your excellent talks and posters!!
April 12, 2025 at 7:21 AM
It’s a wrap! The STAR Collaboration group photo in front of the QuarkMatter 2025 conference center.
Congratulations to all on your excellent talks and posters!!
Congratulations to all on your excellent talks and posters!!
Our usual Pre-QM meeting has finished, and we are ready! We have discussed and rehearsed the 21 talks and 58 posters that @RHIC_STAR will show at #QuarkMatter2025 #exciting #exclamationmark
April 6, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Our usual Pre-QM meeting has finished, and we are ready! We have discussed and rehearsed the 21 talks and 58 posters that @RHIC_STAR will show at #QuarkMatter2025 #exciting #exclamationmark
Hmm, a little set-back at the start of the run 😟... an issue propped up in one of the accelerator magnets. Time to warm up and fix the issue. Keeping our fingers crossed
@RHIC_STAR
@RHIC_STAR
April 5, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Hmm, a little set-back at the start of the run 😟... an issue propped up in one of the accelerator magnets. Time to warm up and fix the issue. Keeping our fingers crossed
@RHIC_STAR
@RHIC_STAR
Ready for Run-25 @RHIC_STAR 👍
All RHIC sectors are now cooled down to 4.5-4.8K using liquid He. Soon, the first injection tests of the blue (clockwise) and yellow (counter-CW) gold-ion beams followed by simultaneous injections, and then Au+Au collisions.
Exciting times ahead!
All RHIC sectors are now cooled down to 4.5-4.8K using liquid He. Soon, the first injection tests of the blue (clockwise) and yellow (counter-CW) gold-ion beams followed by simultaneous injections, and then Au+Au collisions.
Exciting times ahead!
March 30, 2025 at 5:36 PM
Ready for Run-25 @RHIC_STAR 👍
All RHIC sectors are now cooled down to 4.5-4.8K using liquid He. Soon, the first injection tests of the blue (clockwise) and yellow (counter-CW) gold-ion beams followed by simultaneous injections, and then Au+Au collisions.
Exciting times ahead!
All RHIC sectors are now cooled down to 4.5-4.8K using liquid He. Soon, the first injection tests of the blue (clockwise) and yellow (counter-CW) gold-ion beams followed by simultaneous injections, and then Au+Au collisions.
Exciting times ahead!
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) Enters 25th and Final Run #RHIC www.bnl.gov/newsroom/new... via @BrookhavenLab
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) Enters 25th and Final Run
Run 25 will complete RHIC science program and provide crucial insights for the future Electron-Ion Collider (EIC)
www.bnl.gov
March 29, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) Enters 25th and Final Run #RHIC www.bnl.gov/newsroom/new... via @BrookhavenLab
The magnet is ON and the TPC is stable at the @RHIC_STAR experiment. The shift crews are taking cosmics data testing the TPC, our trigger detectors, and the DAQ in anticipation of RHIC beams in about a week from now. #RHIC_RUN25
March 17, 2025 at 2:35 PM
The magnet is ON and the TPC is stable at the @RHIC_STAR experiment. The shift crews are taking cosmics data testing the TPC, our trigger detectors, and the DAQ in anticipation of RHIC beams in about a week from now. #RHIC_RUN25
It's a go! Today marks the official start of @RHIC_STAR experimental shifts. Nothing much to report. As soon as flammable gas is flowing again in the TPC (today/tomorrow) we will see cosmics. Meanwhile, RHIC has been cooling down its magnets - see below (we'll be at 4k by 3/24)
March 11, 2025 at 2:18 PM
It's a go! Today marks the official start of @RHIC_STAR experimental shifts. Nothing much to report. As soon as flammable gas is flowing again in the TPC (today/tomorrow) we will see cosmics. Meanwhile, RHIC has been cooling down its magnets - see below (we'll be at 4k by 3/24)
Yesterday, we concluded a weeklong workshop discussing @RHIC_STAR’s results and observations from the RHIC Beam Energy Scan phase-2 (2019-2021). Many thanks to our theory friends who attended and participated in the open sessions.
Of course there is a picture … 📸 🤗
Of course there is a picture … 📸 🤗
December 7, 2024 at 12:51 PM
Yesterday, we concluded a weeklong workshop discussing @RHIC_STAR’s results and observations from the RHIC Beam Energy Scan phase-2 (2019-2021). Many thanks to our theory friends who attended and participated in the open sessions.
Of course there is a picture … 📸 🤗
Of course there is a picture … 📸 🤗
@RHIC_STAR @HEPdata www.hepdata.net/record/ins27...
HEPData | STAR | 2024 | Production of Protons and Light Nuclei in Au+Au Collisions at $\sqrt{s_{\mathrm{NN}}}$ = 3 GeV with the STAR Detector
www.hepdata.net
December 4, 2024 at 2:52 AM
@RHIC_STAR @HEPdata www.hepdata.net/record/ins27...