MULTIFRACTAL ANALYSIS OF NUCLEUS-NUCLEUS INTERACTIONS

We have performed a multifractal (G-moment) analysis of 14.6-200 GeV/n ucleon nucleus-nucleus and 200-800 GeV proton-nucleus interactions fro m KLM and Fermilab E-90 and E-508 emulsion data, including explicit co rrections for the finite statistical sample. The corrected slopes of t he G-moments for protons, O-16, Si-28, and S-32 nuclei show only sligh t evidence for departures from random behavior, while the normalized e ntropies appear to show a more consistent departure from randomness, p articularly for protons. Given the size of the uncertainties, the resu lts of the fractal analysis are not inconsistent either with results o f intermittency analyses for nucleus-nucleus collisions or with the no nrandom behavior previously reported for leptonic and hadronic collisi ons. However, because of the effects of statistical noise, the fractal analysis is not as sensitive as the intermittency analysis for detect ing nonrandom fluctuations.