Evidence of forward–backward multiplicity correlation at SPS energy

In this paper, a detailed study of two-particle rapidity correlation has been presented by measuring the dynamical fluctuation variable [Formula: see text] in forward and backward pseudo-rapidity window of shower particles produced in the relativistic heavy ion collision, [Formula: see text]O–AgBr interactions at 60[Formula: see text]AGeV and [Formula: see text]S–AgBr interactions at 200[Formula: see text]AGeV. Variations of [Formula: see text] with rapidity gap between forward and backward zones and with the width of each zone have been studied. For both cases, [Formula: see text] increase with increasing either width of the zone or gap between the zones. Our findings show the presence of strong long-range correlation. Comparison of experimental results with MC-RAND events confirms the present correlation to be dynamical in nature. We have also compared our results with FRITIOF and UrQMD events. Such events also show the presence of correlation, but found to fail to reproduce the experimental results both quantitatively and qualitatively. Strength of correlation is dependent on the centrality of collision for experimental events, it decreases with centrality.