Testing QCD Predictions for Multiplicity Distributions at HERA

Abstract

On the basis of a recently introduced generalization of the negative binomial distribution the influence of higher-order perturbative QCD effects on multiplicity fluctuations are studied for deep inelastic e^+p scattering at HERA energies. It is found that the multiplicity distributions measured by the H1 Collaboration indicate violation of infinite divisibility in agreement with pQCD calculations. Attention is called to future experimental analysis of combinants whose nontrivial sign-changing oscillations are predicted using the generalized negative binomial law.