Critical fluctuations of the proton density in A+A collisions at 158A GeV

Anticic, T. and Baatar, B. and Bartke, J. and Beck, H. and Betev, L. and Fodor, Zoltán and László, András and Pálla, Gabriella and Siklér, Ferenc and Veres, Gábor and Vesztergombi, György (2015) Critical fluctuations of the proton density in A+A collisions at 158A GeV. EUROPEAN PHYSICAL JOURNAL C, 75 (12). ISSN 1434-6044

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Abstract

We look for fluctuations expected for the QCD critical point using an intermittency analysis in the transverse momentum phase space of protons produced around midrapidity in the 12.5% most central C+C, Si+Si and Pb+Pb collisions at the maximum SPS energy of 158A GeV. We find evidence of power-law fluctuations for the Si+Si data. The fitted power-law exponent φ2 = 0.96+0.38 −0.25 (stat.) ±0.16 (syst.) is consistent with the value expected for critical fluctuations. Power-law fluctuations had previously also been observed in low-mass π +π − pairs in the same Si+Si collisions. Keywords: quark gluon plasma, QCD critical point, proton density fluctuations, transverse momentum, intermittency analysis, NA49 experiment.

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