Higher-order moments of the elliptic flow distribution in PbPb collisions at $ \sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} $ = 5.02 TeV

The hydrodynamic flow-like behavior of charged hadrons in high-energy lead-lead collisions is studied through multiparticle correlations. The elliptic anisotropy values based on different orders of multiparticle cumulants, v$_{2}${2k}, are measured up to the tenth order (k = 5) as functions of the collision centrality at a nucleon-nucleon center-of-mass energy of $ \sqrt{s_{\textrm{NN}}} $ = 5.02 TeV. The data were recorded by the CMS experiment at the LHC and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 0.607 nb$^{−1}$. A hierarchy is observed between the coefficients, with v$_{2}${2} > v$_{2}${4} ≳ v$_{2}${6} ≳ v$_{2}${8} ≳ v$_{2}${10}. Based on these results, centrality-dependent moments for the fluctuation-driven event-by-event v$_{2}$ distribution are determined, including the skewness, kurtosis and, for the first time, superskewness. Assuming a hydrodynamic expansion of the produced medium, these moments directly probe the initial-state geometry in high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions.[graphic not available: see fulltext]