Possible multiparticle ridge-like correlations in very high multiplicity proton-proton collisions

Understand

The CMS collaboration at the LHC has reported a remarkable and unexpected phenomenon in very high-multiplicity high energy proton-proton collisions: a positive correlation between two particles produced at similar azimuthal angles, spanning a large range in rapidity.

• We suggest that this "ridge"-like correlation may be a reflection of the rare events generated by the collision of aligned flux tubes connecting the valence quarks in the wave functions of the colliding protons.
• The "spray" of particles resulting from the approximate line source produced in such inelastic collisions then gives rise to events with a strong correlation between particles produced over a large range of both positive and negative rapidity.
• We suggest an additional variable that is sensitive to such a line source which is related to a commonly used measure, ellipticity.