Hanbury-Brown--Twiss Analysis in a Solvable Model

Abstract

The analysis of meson correlations by Hanbury-Brown--Twiss interferometry is tested with a simple model of meson production by resonance decay. We derive conditions which should be satisfied in order to relate the measured momentum correlation to the classical source size. The Bose correlation effects are apparent in both the ratio of meson pairs to singles and in the ratio of like to unlike pairs. With our parameter values, we find that the single particle distribution is too distorted by the correlation to allow a straightforward analysis using pair correlation normalized by the singles rates. An analysis comparing symmetrized to unsymmetrized pairs is more robust, but nonclassical off-shell effects are important at realistic temperatures.