Latin American network on electromagnetic effects in strongly interacting matter: Contribution to the update of the Latin American Strategy for High Energy, Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

Abstract

An accurate characterization of the quark-gluon plasma requires understanding of how electromagnetic effects affect the processes mediated by the strong force. All the scenarios in which the plasma emerges, either in nature or in the laboratory, involve strong electromagnetic fields. The early universe, compact astrophysical objects, or ultra-relativistic heavy-ion collisions harbor the most intense fields we know. Researches from the Latin America region have made a substantial contribution on this subject and the \lq\lq Latin American Network on Electromagnetic Effects in Strongly Interacting Matter" aims to cluster efforts to address open questions related to these systems, boosting collaborations and interaction among its members and connecting Latin American institutions with institutions from the rest of the world. In face of the upcoming experimental programs and new facilities, our mission is to bring together experimentalists, phenomenologists and theorists to better explore the properties of strongly interacting matter in the presence of intense electromagnetic fields. This document describes succinctly the recent contributions from researchers of the Latin American region to the subject, as well as our activities and perspectives for the future.