Thermoelectric transport phenomena in magnetized QCD matter and study of Φ(1020) meson production at √sNN = 5.36 TeV in Pb-Pb collisions at forward rapidity with ALICE

Abstract

Understanding the behavior of strongly interacting matter under extreme conditions of temperature, density, and electromagnetic fields remains one of the central challenges in modern high-energy physics. Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), the fundamental theory governing the strong interaction, predicts the existence of an intricate phase structure of matter, including the transition from hadronic matter to a deconfined state known as the quark–gluon plasma (QGP). Such conditions are believed to have prevailed in the early universe shortly after the Big Bang and can be recreated in laboratory environments through ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions at facilities such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). This thesis presents a comprehensive investigation of QCD matter by integrating theoretical, phenomenological, experimental, and applied perspectives. The work begins with a detailed overview of the Standard Model of particle physics, with particular emphasis on QCD as the underlying framework for strong interactions. The QCD phase diagram is introduced to illustrate the possible phases of strongly interacting matter as functions of temperature and baryon density, along with the expected phase transitions, including deconfinement and chiral symmetry restoration. Heavy-ion collisions are discussed as a unique tool to probe these extreme conditions, and the spacetime evolution of the collision system is described, highlighting key experimental signatures of QGP formation.