Mapping the Proton's Fluctuating Waistline

Abstract

We discuss a mechanism for the apparently universal scaling in the high-multiplicity tail of charged particle distributions for high energy nuclear collisions. We argue that this scaling behavior originates from rare fluctuations of the nucleon density. We discuss a pair of simple models of proton shape fluctuations. A "fat" proton with a size of 3 fm occurs with observable frequency. In light of this result, collective flow behavior in the ensuing nuclear interaction seems feasible. We discuss the influence of these models on the large $x$ structure of the proton and the likely influences on the distribution of initial state spatial eccentricities ${\epsilon }_n$.

10 Pages, 15 Figures

References in corpus (7)

• Observation of long-range near-side angular correlations in proton-lead collisions at the LHC
• Multiplicity and transverse-momentum dependence of two- and four-particle correlations in pPb and PbPb collisions
• Determination of the Charged Pion Form Factor at Q2=1.60 and 2.45 (GeV/c)2
• Collective dynamics of the high-energy proton-nucleus collisions
• Correlations from hydrodynamic flow in p-Pb collisions
• Evidence for color fluctuations in the nucleon in high-energy scattering
• Size of the emission source and collectivity in ultra-relativistic p-Pb collisions

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• Review of proton and nuclear shape fluctuations at high energy
• A scaling relation between pA and AA collisions
• Correlations in the Monte Carlo Glauber model
• Global analysis of color fluctuation effects in proton- and deuteron-nucleus collisions at RHIC and the LHC
• Revealing nucleon and nucleus flickering in pA collisions at the LHC
• Multi-particle eccentricities in collisions dominated by fluctuations
• On the origin of long-range azimuthal correlations in hadronic collisions
• First results from p-Pb collisions at the LHC
• Anisotropic Flow and Jet Quenching in Relativistic Nuclear Collisions
• Longitudinal hydrodynamics from event-by-event Landau initial conditions
• Theory Summary and Prospects
• Understanding baryon stopping at the BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider top energies