Method for the Analysis of Forward-Backward Multiplicity Correlations in Heavy-Ion Collisions

Abstract

In heavy-ion ({\it A-A}) collisions, the correlations among the particles produced across wide range in rapidity, probe the early stages of the reaction. The analyses of forward-backward multiplicity correlations in these collisions are complicated by several effects, which are absent or minimized in hadron-hadron collisions. This includes effects, such as the centrality selection in the {\it A-A} collisions, which interfere with the measurement of the dynamical correlations. A method, which takes into account the fluctuations in centrality selection, has been utilized to determine the forward-backward correlation strength {$b_{\rm corr}$} in {\itA-A} collisions. This method has been validated by using the HIJING event generator in case of Au-Au collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$= 200 GeV and Pb-Pb collisions at $\sqrt{s_{NN}}$= 2.76 TeV. It is shown that the effect of impact parameter fluctuations is to be considered properly in order to obtain meaningful results.

6 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. C