QUANTUM CHROMODYNAMICS AND MULTIPLICITY D ISTRIBUTIONS

The problem of multiplicity distribution of particles produced in high -energy collisions is treated in the framework of quantum chromodynami cs (QCD). The solutions of the QCD equations of the generating functio ns of multiplicity distributions in quark and gluon jets are described both for fixed and for running coupling constants. New characteristic s which are very sensitive to the shape of distributions are found. Th e predictions are compared with experimental data. The variation of mu ltiplicity distributions with shrinkage of the analyzed phase space vo lume is shown. This is discussed in connection with the notions of int ermittency and fractality. Some other effects predicted by QCD are bri efly described.