Speaker: Mesut Arslandok (Yale University)

Abstract: 

The theory of strong interaction, QCD, suggests that at high energy densities, nuclear matter transitions into a state known as the quark-gluon plasma (QGP), in which quarks and gluons move freely. Ultrarelativistic heavy-ion collisions provide an ideal environment to study this phase transition and explore the process of hadronization as the hot QCD medium formed gradually cools down. In this talk, I will give an overview of the latest findings of the ALICE collaboration on the hadronization process, focusing on correlation functions and multiplicity fluctuations in view of different hadronization models such as string fragmentation, coalescence and statistical hadronization. I will also discuss future prospects for exploring the QCD phase diagram, particularly in light of the planned ALICE3 detector planned for the early 2030s. Towards the conclusion, I will introduce an innovative program aimed at searching for new physics beyond the Standard Model utilizing the ALICE TPC.