Branching Processes and Multi-Particle Production

Abstract

The general theory of the branching processes is used for establishing the relation between the parameters $k$ and $\bar{n}$ of the negative binomial distribution. This relation gives the possibility to describe the overall data on multiplicity distributions in $pp(p\bar{p})$-collisions for energies up to 900 GeV and to make several interesting predictions for higher energies. This general approach is free from ambiguities associated with the extrapolation of the parameter $k$ to unity.

Comments: 13 pages, (8 figures available on request), DUKE-TH-93-51