At the moment of impact, they actually pass through each other, creating an intense concentration of explosive energy. It is Einstein's theory that mass and energy are interchangeable made actual, tangible, measurable fact. And the result, our physicists here believe, will be the creation of a new kind of matter. This matter is called quark-gluon plasma, extremely hot and extremely dense. Almost as hot, in fact, as some of the chili I've had in New Mexico.
Quarks are the particles that form neutrons and protons.
Gluons are the particles that bind them together. This Ion Collider will dramatically expand the frontiers of quantum physics. It will duplicate the conditions found in neutron stars and supernovas, making it invaluable for the study of astrophysics. It has the potential to be as important for research in the next century as experiments in quantum physics were at the beginning of this one. Those experiments laid the foundation for modern life.