Implications of color-string percolation on multiplicities, correlations, and the transverse momentum

In the color-string model, the impact of string percolation on multipliciti es, [p(T)(2)], and their long-range (forward-backward) correlations is stud ied. It is assumed that different string overlaps produce the observed hadr ons independently. The multiplicities are shown to be damped by a simple fa ctor which follows from the percolation theory The [p(T)(2)] rise at the sa me rate as multiplicities fall. A clear signature of the percolation phase transition is found to be the behavior of the forward-backward correlations for intensive quantities, such as [p(T)(2)] or its inverse, which can be d etected in the relativistic heavy-ion collider.