THREE-DIMENSIONAL STATISTICAL MODEL FOR DENSITY FLUCTUATIONS IN HEAVY ION COLLISIONS

A statistical model of particle production is presented using a Gaussian functional in three dimensions. Identifying the field with the particle density fluctuation results in zero cumulant correlations of order three and higher, while the second order correlation function is of a Yukawa form. The model predicts a parameter-free asymptotic slope of unity for the three-dimensional vertical cumulant. A detailed scheme for projecting the theoretical three-dimensional correlation illustrates how theoretical predictions are tested against experimental moments in the different dimensions. Examples given using NA35 rapidity and p⊥ distributions should be testable against future NA35 and other data.