High Density QCD and Entropy Production at Heavy Ion Colliders

Abstract

The role of entropy production in the context of probing QCD properties at high densities and finite temperatures in ultra-relativistic collisions of heavy nuclei is inspected. It is argued that the entropy generated in these reactions provides a powerful tool to investigate the space-time evolution and the question whether and how a deconfined plasma of quarks and gluons is formed. I will address the questions how entropy is produced, and how it is measurable. The uncertainties in predicting the different contributions to the total entropy and particle multiplicities during the course of heavy ion collisions are also discussed.