Multiplicity distributions in high-energy hadron-nucleus collisions. II. Phenomenology

The calculated results of our formalism for multiplicity distribution in hadron-nucleus collisions are demonstrated and compared with experimental data. The leading particles are found to be responsible for the energy dependence of multiplicity distributions both in hN and hA cases. For shower particles in hA, the Koba-Nielsen-Olesen (KNO) scaling is approximately valid only when the nucleus is heavy but its universality breaks down. The peak of the KNO distribution shifts to smaller values of $n_s$/〈$n_s$ ${〉}_{\mathrm{hA}}$ when A increases. We also calculate fluctuations of various types. The advantages of measuring the gray-particle multiplicity $N_g$ are discussed. Because of the fluctuation in the number of collisions, there should be no universal behavior for the multiplicity distribution at various impact parameters. Without any free parameter, all the results agree extremely well with experiments.