ALICE at the LHC and astrophysics: From providing input for the search for antinuclei in space to constraining the equation of state of neutron stars

Abstract

The ALICE experiment at the LHC was originally designed to study the creation of the quark-gluon-plasma in heavy-ion collisions, a new state of matter in which quarks and gluons are not confined into hadrons. More recently, the versatility of both the Large Hadron Collider and the ALICE apparatus have given additionally access to a unique set of nuclear and hadronic physics measurements. The main results from this new and dynamic research area will be presented. The application of these findings to astrophysical challenges, ranging from the equation of state of neutron stars to the search for dark matter in space, will be discussed.