Charged particle multiplicity near mid-rapidity in central Au+Au collisions at sqrt{s} = 56 and 130 AGeV

We present the first measurement of pseudorapidity densities of primary charged particles near mid-rapidity in Au+Au collisions at $\sqrt{s} =$ 56 and 130 AGeV. For the most central collisions, we find the charged particle pseudorapidity density to be $dN/d\eta |_{|\eta|<1} = 408 \pm 12 {(stat)} \pm 30 {(syst)}$ at 56 AGeV and $555 \pm 12 {(stat)} \pm 35 {(syst)}$ at 130 AGeV, values that are higher than any previously observed in nuclear collisions. Compared to proton-antiproton collisions, our data show an increase in the pseudorapidity density per participant by more than 40% at the higher energy.