Principal component analysis of event-by-event fluctuations
Bhalerao R.S. (Dpt Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005, INDIA) Ollitrault J.-Y. (CEA, IPhT (Institut de Physique Théorique), F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France) Pal S. (Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Homi Bhabha Road, Mumbai 400 005 INDIA) Teaney D. (Department of Physics and Astronomy, State University of New York (SUNY), Stony Brook, New York, NY 11794-3800, USA)
Abstract: We apply principal component analysis to the study of event-by-event
fluctuations in relativistic heavy-ion collisions. This method brings out all
the information contained in two-particle correlations in a physically
transparent way. We present a guide to the method, and apply it to multiplicity
fluctuations and anisotropic flow, using ALICE data and simulated events. In
particular, we study elliptic and triangular flow fluctuations as a function of
transverse momentum and rapidity.