Charged Multiplicity Distributions in Relativistic Nucleus-Nucleus Collisions at 14.6 Gev/a

This thesis presents the results of a study of charged particle multiplicity distributions in collisions of 14.6 GeV/A ^{28}Si nuclei with targets Pb, Cu and Al. The measurement was made in the relativistic heavy ion experiment E814 at the Brookhaven AGS. The multiplicity was measured using two highly segmented 300mu m thick silicon pad detectors, each consisting of 512 approximately square pads. The two detectors together cover the pseudorapidity interval from approximately 0.9 to 3.9. Distributions of dsigma/dn and dn/deta in this pseudorapidity interval are compared with the predictions of HIJET and FRITIOF event generators. Dependence of multiplicity distributions on pseudorapidity interval size, both in exclusive and inclusive intervals, is studied. Multiplicity distributions in inclusive intervals are fitted with the negative binomial distribution and the dependence of negative binomial parameters on pseudorapidity interval size is discussed in terms of the Giovannini-Van Hove model. The results of a study of two particle correlations is also presented. A positive two dimensional correlation in pseudorapidity and azimuthal angle is found. The dependence of the two particle correlation on the target material and the total multiplicity is studied.