PHENIX results on three-particle Bose-Einstein correlations in $\sqrt{S_{NN}} = 200$ GeV Au+Au collisions

TL;DR

This paper reports on PHENIX measurements of three-particle Bose-Einstein correlations in high-energy Au+Au collisions, providing insights into hadron creation mechanisms and the degree of thermalization in the created matter.

Contribution

It introduces a new analysis of three-particle correlations using Lévy source models and Coulomb corrections, offering a novel measure of thermalization and coherence.

Findings

Measured three-particle correlation strength ($b3_3$) and its relation to two-particle strength.

Provided evidence for the nature of hadron creation mechanisms.

Established a new experimental measure of thermalization and coherence.

Abstract

Bose-Einstein correlations of identical hadrons reveal information about hadron creation from the strongly interacting matter formed in ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions. The measurement of three-particle correlations may in particular shed light on hadron creation mechanisms beyond thermal/chaotic emission. In this paper we show the status of PHENIX measurements of three pion correlations as a function of momentum differences within the triplets. We analyze the shape of the correlation functions through the assumption of L\'evy sources and a proper treatment of the Coulomb interaction within the triplets. We measure the three-particle correlation strength ($\lambda_3$), which, together with the two-particle correlation strength $\lambda_2$, encodes information about hadron creation mechanisms. From a consistent analysis of two- and three-particle correlation strength we establish a new experimental measure of thermalization and coherence in the source.