First results on the event–by–event fluctuations and correlations in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV

Abstract

Fluctuations of thermodynamic quantities are fundamental for the study of the QGP phase transition. Among several observables calculated on an event–by–event basis, the different measures of the charge and mean transverse momentum fluctuations are of particular interest since they are considered to be indicators of the existence and of the order of this transition as well as of the thermalization in heavy–ion collisions. In this article, we review the first results from the event–by–event physics program of the ALICE experiment at the LHC in Pb–Pb collisions at √sNN = 2.76 TeV. The experimental results will be compared to previously published data and available model predictions.