Wounded Quarks and Multiplicity at Relativistic Ion Colliders

Abstract

In this paper, we propose a parameterization which is based on a phenomenological model involving the wounded quarks interactions for explaining the average charged particle multiplicity $\ < n_{ch}\ >$, the central pseudo-rapidity density $\ < (dn/d\eta)_{\eta=0}\ >$ and complete rapidity dependence of $dn/d{\eta}$ in relativistic heavy-ion collider experiments. The model also interrelates nucleus-nucleus (A-A) collisions with p-A and p-p interactions. Our parameterization rests on simple assumptions regarding mean number of participating quarks and their average number of collisions. The results for $\ < n_{ch}\ >$ and their variations with the mass number of colliding nuclei, center-of-mass energy ($\sqrt{s_{NN}}$) and collision centrality are well supported by the available experimental data. Finally we give the predictions from our model for A-A collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) experiments. Our results indicate the existence of a possible universal production mechanism for p-p, p-A and A-A collisions.