Improved measurements of the neutral current from hadron and lepton production at LEP

We present an update with increased statistics to our published analysis of hadronic and leptonic cross sections and of the leptonic forward-backward asymmetries ine ⁺ e ^– collisions. The published results were based on a total 454 000 hadronic and 58 000 leptonic events. This analysis adds 733 000 hadronic and 88 000 leptonic events recorded at theZ ⁰ peak in 1992 by the OPAL experiment at LEP. A model independent analysis ofZ ⁰ parameters based on an extension of the improved Born approximation leads to tests of lepton universality and gives an interpretation of the results within the Standard Model framework. We also present a model independent test for new physics.     

Colour Reconnection in <Emphasis Type="Italic">WW</Emphasis> Events and the Models with It

The colour reconnection effects were intensively studied with LEP2 data and are a dominant sources of systematic uncertainty in the W boson mass in e⁺e^? annihilation at LEP2 and one of a dominant sources of systematic uncertainty in the top quark mass determination at hadronic colliders. With the discovery of Higgs boson, a new arena for the effects studies opened up. The effects are discussed within the existent different models and what future tests may come with a future FCC-ee.     

Quantum chromodynamics studies at LEP2

Several studies have been made to the hadronic final states in e ⁺ e ⁻ collisions at LEP. Studies of the annihilation process at LEP2 have given rise to results on jet rate, event shape, heavy flavour production, inclusive momentum spectra, Bose-Einstein correlation and colour reconnection effects. Event shape studies have given rise to accurate determination of the strong coupling constant α _s using O (α _s ² ) with resummed leading and next-to-leading log calculation and also with power law corrections. Studies of 2-photon processes have yielded results on γγ cross-section, heavy flavour production, photon structure function and γ*γ* scattering.     

Inclusive π 0 and KS 0 production in two-photon collisions at LEP

The reactions e⁺e⁻→e⁺e⁻ π ⁰ X and e⁺e⁻→e⁺e⁻K_S ⁰ X are studied using data collected at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 202 GeV. Inclusive differential cross sections are measured as a function of the particle transverse momentum p _t and the pseudo-rapidity. For p _t ⩽1.5 GeV, the π ⁰ and K_S ⁰ differential cross sections are described by an exponential, typical of soft hadronic processes. For p _t ⩾1.5 GeV, the cross sections show the presence of perturbative QCD processes, described by a power-law. The data are compared to Monte Carlo predictions and to NLO QCD calculations.     

Search for invisibly decaying Higgs bosons with large decay width using the OPAL detector at LEP

This paper describes a topological search for an invisibly decaying Higgs boson, H, produced via the Bjorken process (e⁺e^-→HZ). The analysis is based on data recorded using the OPAL detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 629 pb^-1. In the analysis only hadronic decays of the Z boson are considered. A scan over Higgs boson masses from 1 to 120 GeV and decay widths from 1 to 3000 GeV revealed no indication for a signal in the data. From a likelihood ratio of expected signal and standard model background we determine upper limits on cross-section times branching ratio to an invisible final state. For moderate Higgs boson decay widths, these range from about 0.07 pb (M_H=60 GeV) to 0.57 pb (M_H=114 GeV). For decay widths above 200 GeV the upper limits are of the order of 0.15 pb. The results can be interpreted in general scenarios predicting a large invisible decay width of the Higgs boson. As an example we interpret the results in the so-called stealthy Higgs scenario. The limits from this analysis exclude a large part of the parameter range of this scenario experimentally accessible at LEP 2.     

Search for anomalous production of single photons at and 136 GeV

This letter reports the results of the measurement of single photon production in the reaction e⁺e⁻ → γ+ invisible particles at centre-of-mass energies and 136 GeV and an integrated luminosity of 5.83 pb⁻¹, collected with the DELPHI detector at LEP. The signal is compatible with the prediction of the Standard Model for the process , and the number of neutrino families has been determined to be N_ν = 3.1 ± 0.6. Limits have been derived on anomalous neutral gauge boson couplings and on compositeness in the framework of a specific model.     

Search for the standard model Higgs boson at the LEP2 collider near

During 1997 the ALEPH experiment at LEP gathered 57 pb⁻¹ of data at centre-of-mass energies near 183 GeV. These data are used to look for possible signals from the production of the Standard Model Higgs boson in the reaction e⁺e⁻→HZ. No evidence of a signal is found in the data; seven events are selected, in agreement with the expectation of 7.2 events from background processes. This observation results in an improved lower limit on the mass of the Higgs boson: m_H>87.9 GeV/c² at 95% confidence level.     

A combined analysis of the hadronic and leptonic decays of the Z

We report on a measurement of the mass of the Z⁰ boson, its total width, and its partial decay widths into hadrons and leptons. On the basis of 25 801 hadronic decays and 1999 decays into electrons, muons or taus, selected over eleven energy points between 88.28 GeV and 95.04 GeV, we obtain from a combined fit to hadrons and leptons a mass of M_z=91.154±0.021 (exp)±0.030 (LEP) GeV, and a total width of Γ_z=2.536±0.045 GeV. The errors on M_z have been separated into the experimental error and the uncertainty due to the LEP beam energy. The measured leptonic partial widths are Γ_ee=81.2±2.6 MeV, Γ_μμ=82.6± 5.8 MeV, and Γ_ττ=85.7±7.1 MeV, consistent with lepton universality. From a fit assuming lepton universality we obtain Γ_ℓ⁺ ℓ⁻ = 81.9±2.0 MeV. The hadronic partial width is Γ_had=1838±46 MeV. From the measured total and partial widths a model independent value for the invisible width is calculated to be Γ_inv=453±44 MeV. The errors quoted include both the statistical and the systematic uncertainties.     

Hadronic contributions to electroweak parameter shifts

Usinge ⁺ e ^?-data, an updated analysis of hadronic contributions to electroweak parameter renormalizations is presented. We emphasize the estimate of uncertainties which is important for precision tests at LEP and SLC. ForM _z =93 GeV and sin² Θ ₀=0.22 hadronic contributions from 5 flavors are found to be $$\Delta r_{had}^{(5)} = 0.0326 \pm 0.0007(\Delta r_{QED,had}^{(5)} = 0.0286 \pm 0.0007)$$ and $$\Delta g_{had}^{(5)} = 0.0602 \pm 0.0016(\Delta g_{3\gamma ,had}^{(5)} = 0.0619 \pm 0.0016)$$ for the renormalization of α and α _g =α/sin² Θ ₀, respectively. Parameter shifts are calculated and uncertainties due to higher order effects are estimated.     

Single and multi-photon events with missing energy in eecollisions at = 189 GeV

Single and multi-photon events with missing energy are analysed using data collected with the L3 detector at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV, for a total of 176 pb of integrated luminosity. The cross section of the process e⁺e⁻ → γ(γ) is measured and the number of light neutrino flavours is determined to be N_ν=3.011±0.077 including lower energy data. Upper limits on cross sections of supersymmetric processes are set and interpretations in supersymmetric models provide improved limits on the masses of the lightest neutralino and the gravitino. Graviton-photon production in low scale gravity models with extra dimensions is searched for and limits on the energy scale of the model are set exceeding 1 TeV for two extra dimensions.     

Average charged multiplicities inQ\bar Q events (Q=c,b, t) at LEP energies

Charged particle multiplicities ine ⁺ e ^? annihilation into hadronic states have been studied. Events with light and heavy initial quarks are treated separately. Particular attention is paid to multiple production int \(\bar t\) events at LEP energies.     

Study of the rare decay J/ψ→e~+e~-φ

We study the decay process of J/ψ→e~+e~-φ where the relatively clean electromagnetic(EM) transitions appear at leading order at tree level while the hadronic contributions only emerge via hadronic loop transitions. We include the low-lying scalar f_0(980) and pseudoscalar η/η as the dominant contributions in the evaluation of the hadronic loop contributions. It is found that the hadronic effects are negligible compared with the EM contributions.The decay width of J/ψ→e~+e~-φ is determined to be about 2.12 × 10~(-6) ke V if there is no other leading mechanism contributing. This result will be tested by the BESIII experiment with a large J/ψ data sample.     

Investigation of Colour Reconnection in WW events with the DELPHI detector at LEP-2

In the reaction e⁺e^-→WW→(q₁q̄₂)(q₃q̄₄) the usual hadronization models treat the colour singlets q₁q̄₂ and q₃q̄₄ coming from two W bosons independently. However, since the final state partons may coexist in space and time, cross-talk between the two evolving hadronic systems may be possible during fragmentation through soft gluon exchange. This effect is known as colour reconnection. In this article the results of the investigation of colour reconnection effects in fully hadronic decays of W pairs in DELPHI at LEP are presented. Two complementary analyses were performed, studying the particle flow between jets and W mass estimators, with negligible correlation between them, and the results were combined and compared to models. In the framework of the SK-I model, the value for its κ parameter most compatible with the data was found to be: κ_SK-I=2.2^+2.5 _-1.3 corresponding to the probability of reconnection to be in the range at 68% confidence level with its best value at 0.52.     

Inclusive production of the meson in hadronic decays of the Z boson

The inclusive production rate of the ρ^±(770) vector meson in hadronic Z decays is measured with the ALEPH detector at the LEP collider. A total of 3.2 million hadronic events are selected from data recorded between 1991 and 1995. Decays of ρ^±→π⁰+π^± are reconstructed for x_E>0.05 and x_p>0.05 where x_p=p_ρ/p_beam and x_E=E_ρ/E_beam. The average ρ^± multiplicity per hadronic event is evaluated to be N(ρ^±)=2.59±0.03±0.15±0.04 where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The third error is from the uncertainty in the extrapolation to x_p=x_E=0. The rates and differential cross-section are compared with Monte Carlo model predictions and OPAL measurements. Residual Bose–Einstein correlations are found to be an important component in the analysis.     

Radiative corrections to Bhabha scattering and mupair production from the hadronic vacuum polarization

The known first order radiative corrections to Bhabha scattering and mupair production are extended to include the hadronic vacuum polarization. For the evaluation, the measured total cross-section for e⁺e^? → hadrons together with some assumptions on its high-energy behaviour is used. The results show that the inclusion of the hadronic vacuum polarization in the radiative corrections is required for precision tests of quantumelectrodynamics at high energies.     

Gluon jet-like structure in the upsilon decay

The properties of hadronic jets in e⁺ e^– annihilation in quantum chromodynamics have been studied. Motivated by the observation of the hadronic jets (arising from quark jets), the partial cross sections from the two-gluon jet-like events are calculated perturbatively. Estimates for the jet angular radius and its energy dependence are discussed.The author would like to thank Dr. Mubarak Ahmad for his guidance and encouragement.     

Final results from the ντ appearance search in the NOMAD experiment

An updated analysis of the full NOMAD data corresponding to 1.35 × 10⁶ charged current interactions has been performed to search for neutrino oscillations through ν_τ appearance. This document updates the recently published results on the ν_μ → ν_τ and ν_μ → ν_e oscillations search in NOMAD [1] with a unified analysis of the hadronic channels.     

Measurement of the mass of the Λb baryon

In a data sample of four million hadronic Z decays collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP, four Λ_b baryon candidates are exclusively reconstructed in the Λ_b → Λ_c⁺π⁻ channel, with the Λ_c⁺ decaying into pK⁻π⁺, , or Λπ⁺π⁺π⁻. The probability of the observed signal to be due to a background fluctuation is estimated to be 4.2 × 10⁻⁴. The mass of the Λ_b is measured to be 5614±21 (stat.) ± 4 (syst.) MeV/c².     

Analyzing thee + e −→e + e − angular distibution at LEP

The analysis of the lepton angular distribution at LEP is reviewed and the specific concerns in the case ofe ⁺ e ^– final state are singled out. Studies of the physical information contained in thee ⁺ e ^– angular distribution are shown to justify the need for a new approach. Two different solutions that enable the complete use of the angular distribution information for the extraction of theZ parameters are presented. We show that these approaches have accuracies well above the future experimental needs.