KNO scaling of fluctuations in pp and pA, and eccentricities in heavy-ion collisions

Abstract

Multiplicity fluctuations at midrapidity in p+p collisions at high energies are described by a negative binomial distribution and exhibit approximate Koba-Nielsen-Olesen (KNO) scaling. We find that these KNO fluctuations are important also for reproducing the multiplicity distribution in d+Au collisions observed at RHIC, adding to the Glauber fluctuations of the number of binary collisions or participants. We predict that the multiplicity distribution in p+Pb collisions at the LHC also deviates little from the KNO scaling function. Finally, we analyze various moments of the eccentricity of the particle production zone in A+A collisions at RHIC and LHC and find that particle production fluctuations increase fluctuation dominated moments such as the triangularity epsilon_3 substantially.

Comments: 7 pages, 6 figures; v2: updated references and a few minor modifications, to appear in PRC