Correlations in High-Energy Production Processes

Abstract

Rapidity distributions for two-particle inclusive reactions are calculated from the nova model which has been successful at reproducing the single-particle distributions. Particular attention is given to the $2{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ correlations in ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}}p$ and $\mathrm{pp}$ collisions for which data are available. Good agreement with data provides further evidence for a strong clustering of secondaries in particle production at present machine energies, a feature inferred previously from the analysis of single-particle distributions. We stress the importance of measuring the energy dependence of $〈n(n\ensuremath{-}1)〉$, the quantity which normalizes the two-particle distribution. A number of other features of correlation experiments are discussed. General properties of particle production are emphasized in reviewing the nova model.