Measurement of the energy dependence of hadronic jet rates and the strong coupling $\alpha_s$ from the four-jet rate with the DELPHI detector at LEP

Hadronic events from the data collected with the DELPHI detector at LEP within the energy range from 89 Gev to 209 Gev are selected, their jet rates are determined and compared to predictions of four different event generators. One of them is the recently developed APACIC + + generator which performs a massive matrix element calculation matched to a parton shower followed by string fragmentation. The four-jet rate is used to measure in the next-to-leading-order approximation yielding The running of determined by using four-jet events has been tested. The logarithmic energy slope is measured to be Since the analysis is based on four-jet final states it represents an alternative approach to previous DELPHI measurements using event shape distributions.Received: 4 August 2004, Revised: 1 October 2004, Published online: 7 December 2004     

Search for an LSP gluino at LEP with the DELPHI detector

In some supersymmetric models, the gluino () is predicted to be light and stable. In that case, it would hadronize to form R-hadrons. In these models, the missing energy signature of the lightest supersymmetric particle is no longer valid, even if R-parity is conserved. Therefore, such a gluino is not constrained by hadron collider results, which looked for the decay . Data collected by the DELPHI detector in 1994 at 91.2 GeV have been analysed to search for events. No deviation from Standard Model predictions is observed and a gluino mass between 2 and 18 GeV/c² is excluded at the 95% confidence level in these models. Then, R-hadrons produced in the squark decays were searched for in the data collected by DELPHI at the centre-of-mass energies of 189 to 208 GeV, corresponding to an overall integrated luminosity of 609 Pb^-1. The observed number of events is in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. Limits at 95% confidence level are derived on the squark masses from the excluded regions in the plane () GeV/c², and GeV/c² for purely left squarks. GeV/c², and GeV/c² independent of the mixing angle. Received: 6 November 2002 / Published online: 15 January 2003     

The $\eta_{c}(2980)$ formation in two-photon collisions at LEP energies

production in interactions has been detected via its decays into ,K ⁺ K ^- K ⁺ K ^- and in the data taken with the DELPHI detector at LEP1 and LEP2 energies. The two-photon radiative width averaged over all observed decay channels is = 13.9 2.0 (stat.) 1.4(syst.) 2.7 (BR) keV. No direct decay channel has been observed. An upper limit < 5.5 keV at 95% confidence level has been evaluated for this decay mode.Received: 3 July 2003, Published online: 7 November 2003     

Searches for invisibly decaying Higgs bosonswith the DELPHI detector at LEP

Searches for H Z production with the Higgs boson decaying into an invisible final state were performed using the data collected by the DELPHI experiment at centre-of-mass energies between 188 GeV and 209 GeV. Both hadronic and leptonic final states of the Z boson were analysed. In addition to the search for a heavy Higgs boson, a dedicated search for a light Higgs boson down to 40 GeV/c² was performed. No signal was found. Assuming the Standard Model HZ production cross-section, the mass limit for invisibly decaying Higgs bosons is 112.1 GeV/c² at 95% confidence level. An interpretation in the Minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM) and in a Majoron model is also given.Received: 2 September 2003, Revised: 10 November 2003, Published online: 15 January 2004     

Determination of the b quark mass at the MZ scale with the DELPHI detector at LEP

An experimental study of the normalized three-jet rate of b quark events with respect to light quarks events (light=ℓ≡u,d,s) has been performed using the CAMBRIDGE and DURHAM jet algorithms. The data used were collected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP on the Z peak from 1994 to 2000. The results are found to agree with theoretical predictions treating mass corrections at next-to-leading order. Measurements of the b quark mass have also been performed for both the b pole mass: M_b and the b running mass: m_b(M_Z). Data are found to be better described when using the running mass. The measurement yields: for the CAMBRIDGE algorithm. This result is the most precise measurement of the b mass derived from a high energy process. When compared to other b mass determinations by experiments at lower energy scales, this value agrees with the prediction of quantum chromodynamics for the energy evolution of the running mass. The mass measurement is equivalent to a test of the flavour independence of the strong coupling constant with an accuracy of 7 ‰.     

Study of b-quark mass effects in multijet topologies with the DELPHI detector at LEP

The effect of the heavy b-quark mass on the two, three and four-jet rates is studied using LEP data collected by the DELPHI experiment at the Z peak in 1994 and 1995. The rates of b-quark jets and light quark jets (ℓ=uds) in events with n=2, 3, and 4 jets, together with the ratio of two and four-jet rates of b-quarks with respect to light-quarks, R_n ^bℓ, have been measured with a double-tag technique using the CAMBRIDGE jet-clustering algorithm. A comparison between experimental results and theory (matrix element or Monte Carlo event generators such as PYTHIA, HERWIG and ARIADNE) is done after the hadronisation phase. Using the four-jet observable R₄ ^bℓ, a measurement of the b-quark mass using massive leading-order calculations gives: This result is compatible with previous three-jet determinations at the M_Z energy scale and with low energy mass measurements evolved to the M_Z scale using QCD renormalisation group equations.     

Predictions for ${\bar \nu} \nu \gamma$ production at LEP

We study predictions for the reaction . The complete one-loop corrections are taken into account and higher order contributions, in particular those for the observed real photons, are added whenever necessary. The event generator MC, a general-purpose Monte Carlo generator for the process based on the method of exclusive exponentiation, is used as the environment. We extend its applicability to the process ,, where the observation of at least a single is required. The exponentiation is implemented in much the same way as for the s-channel process alone. In particular, all photonic effects present in the case of W exchange, which cannot be included in the s-channel exponentiation scheme, are calculated to a finite order only. The real hard photon matrix element is calculated up to . Leading logarithmic contributions of the two-loop corrections and one-loop photonic corrections accompanying real single-photon emission are included. The electroweak corrections are calculated with the DIZET library of the ZFITTER package. Numerical tests and predictions for typical observables are presented. Received: 30 October 2001 / Revised version: 5 March 2002 / Published online: 22 May 2002     

Multijet production in neutral current deep inelastic scattering at HERA and determination of $\alpha_s$

Multijet production rates in neutral current deep inelastic scattering have been measured in the range of exchanged boson virtualities . The data were taken at the ep collider HERA with centre-of-mass energy using the ZEUS detector and correspond to an integrated luminosity of . Jets were identified in the Breit frame using the k_T cluster algorithm in the longitudinally invariant inclusive mode. Measurements of differential dijet and trijet cross sections are presented as functions of jet transverse energy ( ), pseudorapidity ( ) and Q² with and . Next-to-leading-order QCD calculations describe the data well. The value of the strong coupling constant , determined from the ratio of the trijet to dijet cross sections, is . Received: 1 April 2005, Revised: 28 June 2005, Published online: 30 August 2005     

Search for a low mass CP-odd Higgs boson in $\mathrm{e^+e^-}$ collisions with the OPAL detector at LEP2

We have analysed the data collected by OPAL at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV searching for Higgs boson candidates from the process followed by the decay of where is the CP-odd Higgs boson. The search is done in the region where the mass, , is below the production threshold for , and the CP-even Higgs boson mass is within the range 45-86 GeV/c ² . In this kinematic range, the decay of may be dominant and previous Higgs boson searches have very small sensitivities. This search can be interpreted within any model that predicts the existence of at least one scalar and one pseudoscalar Higgs boson. No excess of events is observed above the expected Standard Model backgrounds. Model-independent limits on the cross-section for the process are derived assuming 100% decays of the into and 100% decays of the into each of the following final states: , , , , and . The results are also interpreted in the CP-conserving no-mixing MSSM scenario, where the region and is excluded. Received: 13 March 2002 / Published online: 26 February 2003     

Cosmic rays at the highest energies

Cosmic rays at the highest energies are observed with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Recent results are discussed and the properties of high-energy cosmic rays are reviewed.     

Effects of additional isoscalar vector bosons ine^ + e^ - \to f\bar f processes at the TRISTAN and LEP energies

The phenomenological manifestation of the additionalY(Y_L) boson arising in the models with the composite structure of electroweak interactions is studied for the process \(e^ + e^ - \to f\bar f\) at the TRISTAN and LEP energies. It is shown that the presence of the additional isoscalar boson, which can provide the explanation of the experimentally observed deviation ofR _μ value from the Standard Model predictions at TRISTAN, yields a measurable effect in the cross-section of e⁺e^- → μ⁺μ^- (hadrons) processes at LEP. This effect in the muon and hadron cross-sections at the energies M_z±Г_z/2 can be ～1.5–2.0% for small values of the γ-Y mixing parameter. The increase of statistics for the above processes at TRISTAN and LEP will permit to set an additional limitation on the model parameters.     

Calibration of centre-of-mass energies at LEP 2for a precise measurement of the W boson mass

The determination of the centre-of-mass energies for all LEP 2 running is presented. Accurate knowledge of these energies is of primary importance to set the absolute energy scale for the measurement of the W boson mass. The beam energy between 80 and 104 GeV is derived from continuous measurements of the magnetic bending field by 16 NMR probes situated in a number of the LEP dipoles. The relationship between the fields measured by the probes and the beam energy is defined in the NMR model, which is calibrated against precise measurements of the average beam energy between 41 and 61 GeV made using the resonant depolarisation technique. The validity of the NMR model is verified by three independent methods: the flux-loop, which is sensitive to the bending field of all the dipoles of LEP; the spectrometer, which determines the energy through measurements of the deflection of the beam in a magnet of known integrated field; and an analysis of the variation of the synchrotron tune with the total RF voltage. To obtain the centre-of-mass energies, corrections are then applied to account for sources of bending field external to the dipoles, and variations in the local beam energy at each interaction point. The relative error on the centre-of-mass energy determination for the majority of LEP 2 running is 1.2 x 10^-4, which is sufficiently precise so as not to introduce a dominant uncertainty on the W mass measurement. Received: 4 August 2004, Revised: 15 December 2004, Published online: 21 January 2005     

Measurement of the partial decay width $R_{b}^{0}=αmma_^{- }/αmma_{had}$ of the Z with the DELPHI detector at LEP

The partial decay width of the Z to bb? quark pairs has been measured by the DELPHI detector at LEP. B-hadrons, containing b-quarks, were tagged by several methods using tracks with large impact parameters to the primary vertex complemented sometimes by event shape variables or using leptons with high transverse momentum relative to the hadron. In order to reduce the systematic uncertainties, in all methods the b-tagging efficiency has been extracted directly from the data. Combining all methods, the value: $${αmma_^{- }?er αmma_{had}}=0.2216pm 0.0016(stat.)pm0.0021(syst.)$$ was found, where the cc? production fraction was fixed to its Standard Model value.     

High-statistics measurement of the $\beta$ -delayed $\alpha$ spectrum of 20Na

The European Physical Journal A - A measurement of the 20Na $ \beta$ -delayed alpha spectrum with a high-granularity setup has allowed the decay scheme to be revised on several points. Three new...     

The generation of the highest cosmic ray energies

The acceleration of charges particles in superstrong electromagnetic fields to energies > 10²¹ eV has been studied numerically, taking into account radiation reaction effects.     

A precise measurement of the B<Superscript> + </Superscript>, B<Superscript>0</Superscript> and mean b-hadron lifetime with the DELPHI detector at LEP I

Final results from the DELPHI Collaboration on the lifetime of B ⁺ and B⁰ mesons and the mean b-hadron lifetime, are presented using the data collected at the Z⁰ peak in 1994 and 1995. Elaborate, inclusive, secondary vertexing methods have been employed to ensure a b-hadron reconstruction with good efficiency. To separate samples of B ⁺ and B⁰ mesons, high performance neural network techniques are used that achieve very high purity signals. The results obtained are: and for the average b-hadron lifetime: Received: 6 October 2003, Revised: 12 December 2003, Published online: 25 February 2004     

Search for the Standard Model Higgs boson with the OPAL detector at LEP

This paper summarises the search for the Standard Model Higgs boson in e ⁺ e ^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 209 GeV performed by the OPAL Collaboration at LEP. The consistency of the data with the background hypothesis and various Higgs boson mass hypotheses is examined. No indication of a signal is found in the data and a lower bound of 112.7 Gev/c² is obtained on the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson at the 95% CL. Received: 13 March 2002 / Revised version: 9 October 2002 / Published online: 13 December 2002     

Cosmic rays from the knee to the highest energies

This review summarizes recent developments in the understanding of high-energy cosmic rays. It focuses on galactic and presumably extragalactic particles in the energy range from the knee (10¹⁵ eV ) up to the highest energies observed (>10²⁰ eV). Emphasis is put on observational results, their interpretation, and the global picture of cosmic rays that has emerged during the last decade.