6th International Conference on the Initial Stages of High-Energy Nuclear Collisions: Initial Stages 2021 (IS2021)

The conference is dedicated to new experimental results from the LHC and RHIC as well as developments in theoretical tools that predict and explain recent phenomena observed in experiments. The conference mainly focuses on (but is not limited to):

• The initial stages of heavy-ion collisions
• The partonic structure of protons and nuclei
• Parton distribution functions; their modification in the nuclear medium and parton saturation effects in and out of the nuclear medium;
• Collective-dynamics phenomena including the role and nature of fluctuations and correlations, with special attention to understanding both small and large systems
• Hydrodynamical evolution – the determination of viscosity, and other transport coefficients of strongly interacting matter.
• Multiparton interactions
• Future RHIC and LHC runs, and experimental facilities

The conference is organized by the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, and by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel. Due to the pandemic, the format of the conference has not yet been finalized. The organizers prefer to have a traditional in-person conference in Rehovot, Israel, with a videoconference component for those who will not be able to attend. However, if this will not be feasible the conference will be turned into a fully-online meeting. The decision will depend on the situation with COVID-19 and travel restrictions imposed by the governments in different countries. The final decision on the format will be announced later.