Exploring high-density QCD matter with the CMS detector at the LHC

This paper presents the capabilities of the CMS to explore the high-density quantum chromodynamics by using various soft and hard probes. The soft sector includes the charged hadron multiplicity, the low-p(T) inclusive hadron spectra and the elliptic flow, which provide information on the collective properties of the matter. The hard sector includes the high-p(T) charged hadron spectra, jets, gamma-jet and quarkonium production, which provide 'tomographic' information about the matter at the highest density.