Results are presented for multidimensional Bose-Einstein Correlation analyses of[pi][sup+] and K[sup+] mid-rapidity pairs collected by BNL-AGS experiment E859 in 14.6 A[center-dot]GeV/c Si+ Au central collisions. Comparisons are made to the cascade codes ARC (v. 1.9.5) and RQMD (v. 1.08). 14 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs.

Bose-Einstein correlations between K[sup +]'s and between [pi][sup +]'s produced in collisions of 14.6 A[center-dot]GeV/c [sup 28]Si ions and [sup 197]Au nuclei have been measured using the E859 spectrometer. Parameters obtained from fits to correlation functions in relative momentum describe a K[sup +] source that is slightly smaller than the [pi][sup +] source and comparable in size to the [sup 28]Si projectile. Correlation functions were also formed for [pi]K[sup +] and pK[sup +] pairs extracted from the data set. Bose-Einstein correlations are expected to be absent here. The observed correlations can be understood as being the result primarily of the two-particle Coulomb interaction. For the pK[sup +] pairs, an adequate description is obtained only when taking into account the finite sizes of the p K[sup +] sources. The space-time coordinate distributions of pions and kaons produced by the event generator ARC for the 14.6 A[center-dot]GeV/c [sup 28]Si on [sup 197]Au collision yield source sizes that are larger than those observed in the experiment. Much closer agreement is seen when viewing the distributions through a simulated version of the detector.

This book attempts to cover the fascinating field of physics of relativistic heavy ions, mainly from the experimentalist's point of view. After the introductory chapter on quantum chromodynamics, basic properties of atomic nuclei, sources of relativistic nuclei, and typical detector set-ups are described in three subsequent chapters. Experimental facts on collisions of relativistic heavy ions are systematically presented in 15 consecutive chapters, starting from the simplest features like cross sections, multiplicities, and spectra of secondary particles and going to more involved characteristics like correlations, various relatively rare processes, and newly discovered features: collective flow, high pT suppression and jet quenching. Some entirely new topics are included, such as the difference between neutron and proton radii in nuclei, heavy hypernuclei, and electromagnetic effects on secondary particle spectra.Phenomenological approaches and related simple models are discussed in parallel with the presentation of experimental data. Near the end of the book, recent ideas about the new state of matter created in collisions of ultrarelativistic nuclei are discussed. In the final chapter, some predictions are given for nuclear collisions in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), now in construction at the site of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva. Finally, the appendix gives us basic notions of relativistic kinematics, and lists the main international conferences related to this field. A concise reference book on physics of relativistic heavy ions, it shows the present status of this field.