Analysis of multiparticle Bose-Einstein correlations in ultra-relativistic heavy ion collisions

摘要

We introduce the coalescence variables, a set of three boost-invariant kinematic quantities which may be used in analyzing n-particle correlations. These variables characterize the invariant mass of an n-particle and in three directions and separate the timelike and spacelike characteristics of the source. The analytic Kolehmanien-Gyulassy model is generalized to give two, three, and four-particle correlation functions, with coherence and Coulomb corrections applied to the basic formalism. We demonstrate the relation of the coalescence variables to be radius and duration of the source, and find that for sufficiently large transverse radii, Coulomb effects can suppress the structure of the Hanbury-Brown-Twiss correlations so that no significant information on source size can be obtained. 11 refs., 10 figs.