A sensitive test for models of Bose-Einstein correlations

Abstract

Accurate and sensitive measurements of higher order cumulants open up new approaches to pion interferometry. It is now possible to test whether a given theoretical prediction can consistently match cumulants of both second and third order. Our consistency test utilizes a new technique combining theoretically predicted functions with experimentally determined weights in a quasi-Monte Carlo approach. Testing a general quantum statistics-based framework of Bose-Einstein correlations with this technique, we find that predictions for third order cumulants differ significantly from UA1 data. This discrepancy may point the way to more detailed dynamical information.