Coulomb and strong interactions in the final state of HBT correlations for L\'evy type source functions

Abstract

We present detailed calculations about the expected shape of two-pion Bose-Einstein (or HBT) correlations in high energy heavy ion collisions that include a realistic treatment of final state Coulomb interaction as well as strong interactions (dominated by s-wave scattering). We assume L\'evy type source functions, a generalization that goes beyond the Gaussian approximation. Various recent experimental results found the use of such source types necessary to properly describe the shape of the measured correlation functions. We find that strong final state interactions may play an important role in the shape of the two-pion correlation functions, especially if one considers source parameters beyond the Gaussian HBT radii. Precise experimental determination of these source parameters (such as L\'evy stability exponent, correlation strength, etc.) seems to require the inclusion of the treatment of strong interaction not just for heavier particles (e.g. protons, lambdas) but also in case of two-pion measurements.