Reconstructing the freeze-out state in Pb+Pb collisions at 158 AGeV/ca

For a class of analytical parametrizations of the freeze-out state of relativistic heavy ion collisions, we perform a simultaneous analysis of the single-particle m _⊥-spectra and two-particle Bose-Einstein correlations measured in central Pb+Pb collisions at the CERN SPS. The analysis includes a full model parameter scan with χ² confidence levels. A comparison of different transverse density profiles for the particle emission region allows for a quantitative discussion of possible model dependencies of the results. Our fit results suggest a low thermal freeze-out temperature T≈95±15 MeV and a large average transverse flow velocity (bar v_ bot approx 0.55 pm 0.07). Moreover, the fit favours a box-shaped transverse density profile over a Gaussian one. We discuss the origins and the consequences of these results in detail. In order to reproduce the measured pion multiplicity our model requires a positive pion chemical potential. A study of the pion phase-space density indicates μ_π≈60 MeV for T=100 MeV.