Space-time Characteristics of the Fireball from HBT Interferometry

Abstract

We present the Yano-Koonin-Podgoretskii parametrisation of the correlation function. Compared to the conventionally used Cartesian parametrisation, this one provides more straightforward measurement of the duration of the emission process in the fireball and a clearer signal of the longitudinal expansion, which is expected in ulrarelativistic heavy ion collisions.

Comments: 13 pages LaTeX,3 figures incl. with epsf-style. Proceedings of "Heavy Ion Workshop on Particle Physics", Sept. 2.-6., 1996, Bratislava, Slovakia, misprint in Eq.(27) corrected