Scaling for count-in-cell and factorial moment analysis

TL;DR

This paper shows that the scaling relation observed in factorial moment analysis of high-energy collisions is a general result of phase-space partitioning, not specific to critical phenomena, impacting the interpretation of QCD critical point searches.

Contribution

It reveals that the scaling behavior in factorial moments is a generic outcome of analysis procedures, challenging previous assumptions about its link to critical phenomena.

Findings

Scaling arises from phase-space partitioning, not criticality.

The observed scaling is a general feature, not exclusive to QCD critical point.

Implications for interpreting intermittency analyses in high-energy physics.

Abstract

The investigation of remnants associated with the QCD chiral critical point is a primary objective in high-energy ion collision experiments. Numerous studies indicate that a scaling relation between higher-order factorial moments of hadron multiplicity distributions and the second factorial moment may serve as a diagnostic tool for identifying the QCD critical point. However, we demonstrate that this scaling behavior is not exclusive to critical phenomena but rather arises as a general consequence of the phase-space partitioning procedure employed in the analysis. This finding is examined in the context of recent intermittency analyses conducted by the STAR experiment at RHIC.