INTERMITTENCY PATTERN OF FLUCTUATIONS IN NUCLEAR MULTIFRAGMENTATION

The method of scaled factorial moments is used to study fluctuations of the fragment-size distribution in the percolation model and in nuclear multifragmentation following the breakup of high-energy nuclei in nuclear emulsion. The percolation model accounts well for the fluctuations in the nuclear fragmentation process. An intermittent pattern of fluctuations is found in the data, suggesting a self-similarity in the fragment-size distribution and a random character for the scaling law. However, no evidence of the critical behavior in nuclear multifragmentation is found. © 1990 The American Physical Society.