Statistical interpretation of multiplicity distributions and forward-backward multiplicity correlations in relativistic heavy ion collisions

It is shown in this Brief Report that purely statistical considerations are possible to understand both the multiplicity distributions and forward-backward multiplicity correlations measured recently in the highest energy relativistic heavy ion collisions. It is necessary to study carefully whether the observed strong forward-backward correlations come mainly from the overall multiplicity fluctuations or not before we can draw any conclusion on dynamical long-range correlations