We modify the usual definitions of cumulants of net-charge fluctuations in a way that isolates dynamical fluctuations. The new observables, which we call dynamical cumulants, are robust with respect to trivial correlations induced by volume fluctuations and global charge conservation. We illustrate the potential of dynamical cumulants by carrying out Monte Carlo simulations where all correlations are trivial. The results of our simulations agree well with BNL Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) data, and are used to illustrate that dynamical cumulants consistently isolate dynamical fluctuations.

• Received 8 September 2018
• Revised 24 January 2019

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.99.034902