Localized charged-neutral fluctuations in 158A GeV Pb+Pb collisions

Localized fluctuations in the multiplicity of charged particles and photons produced in central 158A GeV/c Pb+Pb collisions are studied. The charged versus neutral correlations in common η-φ phase space regions of varying azimuthal size are analyzed by two different methods. The analysis provides a model-independent demonstration of nonstatistical fluctuations in both charged particle and photon multiplicities in limited azimuthal regions. However, no correlated charge-neutral fluctuations are observed, contrary to expectations for the production of a disoriented chiral condensate. The result is not explained by the widely used VENUS model.