Possible experimental signature of a quark–gluon plasma in a 12C–AgBr interaction at 4.5 GeV∙c−1∙n−1

Abstract

This paper reports possible evidence of a quark–gluon plasma (QGP) state formed in relativistic heavy-ion collisions using 12C–AgBr interaction data at 4.5 GeV∙c−1∙nucleon−1(n). The experimental data on the three-particle angular correlation function for the target protons have been subject to a Monte Carlo analysis, and a statistically significant deviation has been observed that shows a dynamical correlation among the target protons. This may be due to possible formation of a QGP state.