  Based on an evaluation of data on pion interferometry and on particle yields
at mid-rapidity, we propose a universal condition for thermal freeze-out of
pions in heavy-ion collisions. We show that freeze-out occurs when the mean
free path of pions lambda_f reaches a value of about 1 fm, which is much
smaller than the spatial extent of the system at freeze-out. This critical mean
free path is independent of the centrality of the collision and beam energy
from AGS to RHIC.
