Charge fluctuations ine+e−annihilations

Abstract

We consider what can be learned about the nature of the annihilation process $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to$ hadrons from the measurement of the mean-square charge transfer between right and left c.m. hemispheres. Predictions of parton models, where this quantity goes to a finite constant, and fireball models, where it grows with multiplicity, are compared. We conclude that it should be possible to discriminate between these two classes of models at SPEAR energies. We also comment on difficulties associated with testing in $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ annihilations Feynman's conjecture that quark quantum numbers remain in the parton fragmentation region.