在宇宙诞生后的百万分之一秒内，物质处于一种被称为夸克-胶子电浆（QGP）的极高温致密原始状态。过去科学家主要透过大型对撞机高速撞击铅等重元素原子核来重现这种状态，以探索宇宙早期的物质演变过程。

欧洲核子研究组织（CERN）的最新研究取得了重大突破，研究团队成功利用重量不及铅原子十分之一的氧-16与氖-20等较轻原子核对撞，成功重现了微型的夸克-胶子电浆状态，拓展了该原始物质形成的极限。

实验结果显示，即使使用较小的原子核进行对撞，所生成的物质依然展现出类似液体集体膨胀的电浆特征，这项成果有助于物理学家更深入理解宇宙最初阶段的运作机制及其演化过程。

In the first microsecond following the Big Bang, the universe existed as an extremely hot and dense state known as quark-gluon plasma (QGP). For years, physicists have replicated this primordial matter by colliding heavy atomic nuclei like lead at near light speed.

A recent experiment at CERN has achieved a significant breakthrough by generating QGP using much lighter elements, specifically oxygen-16 and neon-20, which weigh less than a tenth of a lead atom and push the boundaries of how small collisions can be to recreate this state.

The research demonstrated that even collisions of lighter nuclei produce signatures of fluid-like collective behavior characteristic of QGP, providing valuable insights into the fundamental conditions and evolution of matter in the infant universe.