Proton structure and the PHENIX experiment

qiu, jian-wei;

We briefly summarize the important and critical roles that the PHENIX experiment has played in determining the proton’s internal structure in terms of quarks and gluons, and their dynamics. Some pioneering measurements by the PHENIX experiment on the motion and polarization of quarks and gluons, as well as their correlations inside a fast-moving proton, are presented. Some future opportunities and potentials of the PHENIX experiment are also discussed.