We present a new method for analyzing directed and elliptic flow in heavy-ion collisions. Unlike standard methods, it separates the contribution of flow to azimuthal correlations from contributions due to other effects. The separation relies on a cumulant expansion of multiparticle azimuthal correlations, and includes corrections for detector inefficiencies. This new method allows the measurement of the flow of identified particles in narrow phase-space regions, and can be used in every regime, from intermediate to ultrarelativistic energies.

• Received 21 May 2001

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.64.054901