determining strangeness and baryon ratios. As it will be discussed in [section [\[sec:model-behaviour\]]{}]{}, a typical value for the string tension enhancement factor $h$ at LHC is around 1.2. Changes in $a$ and $b$ could therefore naively account for $\sim 5$% decrease in multiplicity in $pp$, as particle density is approximately proportional to $\sqrt{(1+a)/b}$ (see [eq. (\[eq:particledensity\])]{}). Since some parameters must be retuned after implementation of the rope model, this effect will not appear in final state observables (note that the string hadronization parameters are still tuned to LEP data, see [appendix [\[sec:tuning\]]{}]{} for a detailed account of the tuning procedure.) The model should, however, not be further retuned when it is applied to nucleus collisions at LHC energies. Here $h$ is expected to be so large, that a decrease of the order $15 - 20$% in multiplicity, due to changes in $\tilde{a}$ and $\tilde{b}$, is a prediction of the model.

Ropes {#sec:ropes}
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In this section an ideal situation is considered, where separated colour charges within a limited area in transverse space act coherently to form a colour rope (assuming that the total system is a colour singlet.) As mentioned in the introduction, lattice calculations show that if the endpoint 