The Next Yukawa Phase of QCD at RHIC

Abstract

QCD predicts the existence of a new partonic Yukawa phase above a critical temperature $T_c\sim 150$ MeV. I review some of the key observables which will be used in heavy ion reactions to search for this new phase at RHIC. Systematics of collective observables ($N_{ch},E_{\perp })$, flow patterns, meson interferometry, jet quenching, and $J/\psi$ suppression are discussed. This talk is updated with the first data from RHIC.

Comments: 18 pages, including 18 figures. Invited talk given at the 7th International Conference on Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions (NN2000), Strasbourg, 3-7 July 2000, to appear in the Proceedings in Nucl. Phys. A (W. Noerenberg, D. Guerreau, and V. Metag, editors)