---
author:
- |
    [**Joseph I. Kapusta**]{} and [**Axel P. Vischer$^{\dagger}$**]{}\
    [*School of Physics and Astronomy*]{}\
    [*University of Minnesota*]{}\
    [*Minneapolis, MN 55455*]{}
title: |
    [NUC-MINN-95/19-T\
    July 1995\
    ]{}

    [**INHOMOGENEOUS NUCLEATION OF QUARK–GLUON PLASMA IN HIGH ENERGY NUCLEAR COLLISIONS**]{}
---

Abstract

We estimate the probability that a hard nucleon-nucleon collision is able to nucleate a seed of quark–gluon plasma in the surrounding hot and dense hadronic matter formed during a central collision of two large nuclei at AGS energies. The probability of producing at least one such seed is on the order of 1-100%. We investigate the influence of quark–gluon plasma formation on the observed multiplicity distribution and find that it may lead to noticeable structure in the form of a bump or shoulder.

PACS: 12.38.Mh, 25.75.+r, 24.60.-k

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$\dagger$ Address after 1st of October: Niels Bohr Institute, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø, Denmark.

Introduction
============

One of the mysteries of heavy ion physics at Brookhaven National Laboratory’s AGS is: [*If hadronic cascade event simulators like RQMD [@rqmd] and ARC [@arc] produce energy densities approaching 2 GeV/fm$^3$, yet agree with experiment, where is the quark–gluon plasma?*]{} After all, numerous estimates of the onset of quark–gluon plasma agree that it should occur at about 