Indications for Cluster Melting from Forward-Backward Charge Fluctuations at RHIC Energies

TL;DR

This paper investigates charge fluctuations in heavy ion collisions at RHIC to understand particle production mechanisms and signals of quark-gluon plasma formation, using a model that relates fluctuations to cluster decay and long-range correlations.

Contribution

The paper introduces a model linking forward-backward charge fluctuations to particle production mechanisms and applies it to interpret RHIC data, suggesting medium formation affects these fluctuations.

Findings

PHOBOS data shows a decrease in dynamical fluctuations with centrality.

Model indicates fluctuations are related to cluster decay and long-range correlations.

Decreased fluctuations may signal formation of a hot, dense medium.

Abstract

We study forward-backward charge fluctuations to probe the correlations among produced particles in ultra relativistic heavy ion collisions. We develop a model that describes the forward-backward dynamical fluctuations and apply it to interpret the recent PHOBOS data. Within the present model, the dynamical fluctuations are related to the particle production mechanism via cluster decay and to long range correlations between the forward and backward rapidity hemispheres. We argue that with a tight centrality cut, PHOBOS may see a strong decrease of the dynamical fluctuations. Within the present model, this deterioration of the correlation among the produced hadrons can be interpreted as a sign for the production of a hot, dense and interacting medium.