Multifractal analysis of nucleus-nucleus interactions

K. Sengupta, Louisiana State University
M. L. Cherry, Louisiana State University
W. V. Jones, Louisiana State University
J. P. Wefel, Louisiana State University
A. Dabrowska, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
R. Hołyński, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
A. Jurak, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
A. Olszewski, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
M. Szarska, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
A. Trzupek, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
B. Wilczyńska, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
H. Wilczyński, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
W. Wolter, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
B. Wosiek, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
K. Woniak, Henryk Niewodniczanski Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
P. S. Freier, University of Minnesota Twin Cities
C. J. Waddington, University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Abstract

We have performed a multifractal (G-moment) analysis of 14.6-200 GeV/nucleon nucleus-nucleus and 200-800 GeV proton-nucleus interactions from KLM and Fermilab E-90 and E-508 emulsion data, including explicit corrections for the finite statistical sample. The corrected slopes of the G-moments for protons, O16, Si28, and S32 nuclei show only slight evidence for departures from random behavior, while the normalized entropies appear to show a more consistent departure from randomness, particularly for protons. Given the size of the uncertainties, the results of the fractal analysis are not inconsistent either with results of intermittency analyses for nucleus-nucleus collisions or with the nonrandom behavior previously reported for leptonic and hadronic collisions. However, because of the effects of statistical noise, the fractal analysis is not as sensitive as the intermittency analysis for detecting nonrandom fluctuations. © 1993 The American Physical Society.