Exploring Gluonic Matter with Electron–Ion Collisions

Light and heavy nuclei probed in deep inelastic scattering and diffractive processes in the high-energy regime open a new precision window into fundamental questions in QCD. The proposed Electron–Ion Collider (EIC) is a new high-energy and high-luminosity electron–ion machine. The design offers unprecedented access to explore the nature of QCD matter and strong color fields. In particular, the new collider will allow us to reach and explore the regime where the gluon density saturates, one of the fundamental outstanding questions in QCD, and test the validity of the Color Glass Condensate approach. Selected key measurements in electron–ion collisions with an emphasis on probing and characterizing the gluonic matter are discussed