Forward-Backward Multiplicity Correlations in Au+Au Collisions

Forward-backward correlations of charged-particle multiplicities in symmetric bins in pseudorapidity are studied in order to gain insight into the underlying correlation structure of particle production in Au+Au collisions. The PHOBOS detector is used to measure integrated multiplicities in bins defined within |η|<3, centered at η and covering an interval Δη. The variance of a suitably defined forward-backward asymmetry variable is calculated as a function of η, Δη, and centrality. It is found to be sensitive to short range correlations, and the concept of “clustering” is used to interpret comparisons to phenomenological models.