e+-e- hadronic multiplicity distributions

The 29 GeV multiplicity data have been analyzed for e+ -e- → hadrons using the partially coherent laser distribution (PCLD). The latter interpolates between the negative binomial and Poisson distributions as the ratio S/N of coherent/incoherent multiplcity varies from zero to infinity. The negative binomial gives an excellent fit for rather large values of the cell parameter k. Equally good fits (for full and partial rapidity range, and for the forward/backward 2 jet correlation) are obtained for the mostly coherent (almost Poissonian) PCLD with small values of k (equal to the number of jets). The reasons for the existence of this tradeoff are explained in detail. The existence of the resulting ambiguity is traced to the insensitivity of the probability distribution to phase information in the hadronic density matrix. The study of higher order correlations (intensity interferometry) among like sign-particles is recommended to resolve this question