Can pions created in high-energy heavy-ion collisions produce a Centauro-type effect?

Abstract

We study a Centauro-type phenomenon in high-energy heavy-ion collisions by assuming that pions are produced semiclassically both directly and in pairs through the isovector channel. The leading-particle effect and the factorization property of the scattering amplitude in the impact-parameter space are used to define the classical pion field. By analyzing the joint probability function $P_{II_{3}}(n_{0},n_{\_})$ for producing $n_{0}$ neutral and $n_{-}$ negative pions from a definite isospin state $II_{3}$ of the incoming leading-particle system we show that only direct production of pions without isovector pairs favors Centauro-type behavior. The presence of isovector pairs seems to destroy the effect. Our conclusion is supported through the calculation of two pion correlation parameters, $f_{2}^{0-}$ and $f_{2}^{00}$, and the average number of neutral pions $(< n_{0} >_{n_{\_}})$ as a function of negative pions $(n_{\_})$ produced.