Imaging of nuclear deformation in high-energy nuclear collisions

Deformation is a critical characteristic of atomic nuclei, reflecting the correlations within finite quantum many-body systems. The study of deformation is a key research area in nuclear physics. This article reviews the methodology used to image nuclear deformation in high-energy heavy-ion collisions. It delineates the techniques used to extract deformation parameters from these collisions, offering ff ering a detailed overview of recent advancements in understanding how nuclear deformation impacts heavy-ion collisions, particularly in relation to collective flow observables. Studying deformation not only presents a novel approach for extracting information about nuclear structure, complementing lower-energy methods, but it also helps constrain the initial conditions of heavy-ion collisions. The potential for forging an interdisciplinary connection between high-energy nuclear collisions and lower-energy nuclear structures is discussed.