Quantum Chromodynamics Phase Diagram (IMAGE) DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Caption The "current conjecture" for the QCD phase diagram. The boundary between the normal (hadronic) low-temperature phase and the high-temperature quark-gluon plasma phase is marked in black. The square box on the solid line indicates the yet-to-be-found critical point where phases can co-exist; RHIC is the only heavy-ion collider whose energy can be tuned across the region where it is likely to lie. Neutrons and protons and other ordinary matter particles (including antimatter particles) are detected after they "freeze out" of fireballs caused by heavy-ion collisions like those at RHIC, indicated by the dotted line. To the right is a possible region of "color superconductivity." Credit Gupta et al. Usage Restrictions with credit as given License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.