A study of charged particle multiplicities in hadronic decays of theZ0

We present an analysis of multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced inZ ⁰ hadronic decays. The results are based on the analysis of 82941 events collected within 100 MeV of theZ ⁰ peak energy with the OPAL detector at LEP. The charged particle multiplicity distribution, corrected for initial-state radiation and for detector acceptance and resolution, was found to have a mean n _ch=21.40±0.02(stat.)±0.43(syst.) and a dispersionD=6.49±0.02(stat.)±0.20(syst.). The shape is well described by the Lognormal and Gamma distributions. A negative binomial parameterisation was found to describe the shape of the multiplicity distribution less well. A comparison with results obtained at lower energies confirms the validity of KNO(-G) scaling up to LEP energies. A separate analysis of events with low sphericity, typically associated with two-jet final states, shows the presence of features expected for models based on a stochastic production mechanism for particles. In all cases, the features observed in the data are well described by the Lund parton shower model JETSET.deceased 25th March 1991     

Observation of doubly-charmed B decays at LEP

A search for doubly-charmed B decays with both charmed mesons reconstructed is performed, using about 3.8 million hadronic Z decays recorded with the ALEPH detector at LEP. A clear signal is observed in the channels and (where D can be either a D, a D or a D), providing the first direct evidence for doubly-charmed B decays involving no production. Evidence for associated and production in the decays is also presented and some candidates for completely reconstructed decays , and are observed. Furthermore, candidates for the two-body Cabibbo suppressed decays and are also observed. Measurements of the corresponding branching fractions are extracted. Received: 6 March 1998 / Published online: 23 June 1998     

A study of the Lorentz structure in tau decays

This paper describes a measurement of the Michel parameters, , , , , and the average helicity, , in lepton decays together with the first measurement of the tensor coupling in the weak charged current. The pairs were produced at the LEP collider at CERN from 1992 through 1995 in the DELPHI detector. Assuming lepton universality in the decays of the the measured values of the parameters were: , , , , . The strength of the tensor coupling was measured to be . The first error is statistical and the second error is systematic in all cases. The results are consistent with the structure of the weak charged current in decays of the lepton. Received: 14 February 2000 / Revised version: 7 March / Published online: 8 May 2000     

A study of charm and anti-charm production in beauty decays with the OPAL detector at LEP

The branching ratio of beauty hadrons to final states containing two charm hadrons, Br(b , has been measured using an inclusive method in hadronic Z⁰ decays with the OPAL detector at LEP. The impact parameter significance of tracks opposite tagged b-jets is used to differentiate b decays from other decays. The result is where det. is the systematic uncertainty due to the modelling of the detector, and is the systematic uncertainty due to the modelling of the underlying physics. Using this result, the average number of charm plus anti-charm quarks produced in a beauty quark decay, n_c, is found to be 1.12 ^{+ 0.11}_-0.10.Received: 11 July 2003, Published online: 18 May 2004     

Rare decays of the tau lepton at Belle

We report recent results of searches for lepton flavor violation and second class current in decays of τ leptons using the data sample collected in the Belle experiment at the KEKB electron-positron asymmetric-energy collider.     

A study of three-prong tau decays with charged kaons

From an analysis of the ionisation energy loss of charged particles selected from a sample of 147926 candidates recorded in the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies near the resonance, we determine the branching ratios: where the notation refers to decay modes with or without an accompanying . The final states occurring through are treated as background in this analysis. We also examine the resonant structure of candidates. Under the assumption that the resonant structure is dominated by the K resonances, we determine: In all results, the first uncertainties are statistical and the second are systematic. Received: 9 July 1999 / Published online: 17 February 2000     

Rare decays of the tau lepton at Belle

We report recent results of searches for lepton flavor violation and second class current in decays of τ leptons using the data sample collected in the Belle experiment at the KEKB electron-positron asymmetricenergy collider.     

Search for R-parity violating decays of sfermions at LEP

A search for pair-produced sfermions, the scalar supersymmetric partners of the Standard Model fermions, under the assumption that R-parity is not conserved has been performed using data collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data samples analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 610 pb^-1 collected at centre-of-mass energies of GeV. An important consequence of R-parity violation is that the lightest supersymmetric particle is expected to be unstable. Searches for R-parity violating decays of charged sleptons, sneutrinos and squarks have been performed under the assumptions that the lightest supersymmetric particle decays promptly and that only one of the R-parity violating couplings is dominant for each of the decay modes considered. Such processes would yield final states consisting of leptons, jets, or both, with or without missing energy. No significant signal-like excess of events has been observed with respect to the Standard Model expectations. Limits on the production cross-sections of sfermions in R-parity violating scenarios are obtained. Constraints on the supersymmetric particle masses are also presented in an R-parity violating framework analogous to the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model.Received: 25 June 2003, Published online: 13 February 2004     

Measurement of the one-prong hadronic tau branching ratios at LEP

The branching ratios of the and decays have been measured using the 1991–1995 data recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP. These branching ratios are measured simultaneously using three selection criteria and are found to be where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. Received: 4 December 1997 / Published online: 2 June 1998     

A study of B meson oscillations using hadronic Z0 decays containing leptons

An event sample enriched in semileptonic decays of b hadrons is selected using an inclusive lepton selection from approximately 3.0 million hadronic Z⁰ decays collected with the OPAL detector. This sample is used to investigate B meson oscillations by reconstructing a proper decay time for the parent of each lepton, using a jet charge method to estimate the production flavour of this parent, and using the lepton charge to tag the decay flavour. We measure the mass difference between the two B⁰ _d mass eigenstates     

Search for R-parity violating decays of scalar fermions at LEP

A search for pair produced scalar fermions with couplings that violate R-parity has been performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 56 pb at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. An important consequence of R-parity breaking interactions is that the lightest supersymmetric particle is expected to be unstable. Searches for R-parity violating decays of charged sleptons, sneutrinos and stop quarks have been performed under the assumptions that the lightest supersymmetric particle decays promptly and that only one of the R-parity violating couplings is dominant for each of the decay modes considered. Such processes would yield multi-leptons, jets plus leptons or multi-jets, with or without missing energy, in the final state. No significant excess of such events has been observed. Limits on the production cross-sections of scalar fermions in R-parity violating scenarios are obtained. Mass exclusion regions are also presented in the framework of the Constrained Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Received: 16 March 1999 / Published online: 14 October 1999     

Two-dimensional analysis of Bose-Einstein correlationsin hadronic Z decays at LEP

Bose-Einstein correlations are studied in pairs of charged pions from hadronic Z decays, collected by the ALEPH detector. The correlation function, measured using either the unlike-sign or the mixed reference sample, is studied in terms of the Lorentz-invariant four-momentum difference and its transverse, Q _T, and longitudinal, Q _L, components with respect to the longitudinal centre-of-mass system. Values for the correlation radii, R _T and R _L, are obtained from the fit of the Goldhaber parametrisation. The results indicate that the correlation radii values depend on the chosen kind of reference sample and on the two-jet purity.Received: 23 April 2004, Revised: 11 May 2004, Published online: 9 July 2004     

Searches for R-parity violating decays of Gauginos at 183 GeV at LEP

Searches for pair-produced charginos and neutralinos with R-parity violating decays have been performed using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 56 pb collected with the OPAL detector at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. An important consequence of R-parity violation is that the lightest supersymmetric particle becomes unstable. The searches have been performed under the assumptions that the lightest supersymmetric particle promptly decays and that only one R-parity violating coupling is dominant for each of the decay modes considered. Such processes would yield multiple leptons, jets plus leptons, or multiple jets with or without significant missing energy in the final state. No excess of such events above Standard Model backgrounds has been observed. Limits are presented on the production cross-sections of gauginos in R-parity violating scenarios. Limits are also presented in the framework of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. Received: 14 December 1998 / Published online: 14 October 1999     

Measurement of the Z resonance parameters at LEP

Abstract. The properties of the Z resonance are measured from the analysis of 4.5 million Z decays into fermion pairs collected with the Aleph detector at LEP. The data are consistent with lepton universality. The resonance parameters are measured to be , GeV, nb and, combining the three lepton flavours, . The corresponding number of light neutrino species is and the strong coupling constant is . The lepton pair forward-backward asymmetry is measured to be from which the effective weak mixing angle is derived: . The measurement of the leptonic width MeV leads to a determination of the effective parameter . The data support the Standard Model and favour a light Higgs. Received: 16 July 1999 / Published online: 17 March 2000     

Measurement of theZ0 line shape parameters and the electroweak couplings of charged leptons

We report on an improved measurement of the mass of theZ ⁰ boson, its total width and its partial decay widths into hadrons and leptons, as well as the effective axial vector and vector couplings to charged leptons. These measurements are based on a data set of approximately 160 000 hadronicZ ⁰ decays and 18 000 decays into electrons, muons and taus, recorded by the OPAL experiment at centre of mass energies near the mass of theZ ⁰. The total width and the partial widths to visible final states, derived from the measured cross sections, are used to extract the invisible width. The effective couplings of theZ ⁰ to charged leptons are studied using measurements of the lepton pair cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries at the different centre of mass energy points of theZ ⁰ scan. The implications of our results in the context of the Standard Model are discussed.On leave from Research Institute for Computer Peripherals, Hangzhou, China     

Inclusive analysis of the b quark fragmentation function in Z decays at LEP

A study of quark hadronisation is presented using inclusively reconstructed B hadrons in about four million hadronic Z decays recorded in 1992-2000 with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data are compared to different theoretical models, and fragmentation function parameters of these models are fitted. The average scaled energy of weakly decaying B hadrons is determined to be