Fluctuations and Azimuthally Dependent Two-Particle Distributions

Abstract

The azimuthal dependence of the two-particle distribution, which reflects both the anisotropic flow of each particle and azimuthally sensitive correlations between the two particles, can be characterized with Fourier coefficients. We illustrate on a few idealized examples how the corresponding ”pair-flow coefficients” are affected by fluctuations of the single-particle anisotropic flow, even if genuine correlations are absent.