Localized charged-neutral fluctuations in $158A$ GeV Pb+Pb collisions

Localized fluctuations in the multiplicity of charged particles and photons produced in central $158A\hspace{0.5em}\mathrm{GeV}/c$ Pb+Pb collisions are studied. The charged versus neutral correlations in common $\eta -\phi$ phase space regions of varying azimuthal size are analyzed by two different methods. The analysis provides a model-independent demonstration of nonstatistical fluctuations in both charged particle and photon multiplicities in limited azimuthal regions. However, no correlated charge-neutral fluctuations are observed, contrary to expectations for the production of a disoriented chiral condensate. The result is not explained by the widely used VENUS model.