Test of the flavour independence of \alpha_s using next-to-leading order calculations for heavy quarks

We present a test of the flavour independence of the strong coupling constant for charm and bottom quarks with respect to light (uds) quarks, based on a hadronic event sample obtained with the OPAL detector at LEP. Five observables related to global event shapes were used to measure in three flavour tagged samples (uds, c and b). The event shape distributions were fitted by calculations of jet production taking into account mass effects for the c and b quarks. We find: Received: 18 March 1999 / Published online: 14 October 1999     

Measurements of the continuum R(uds) and R values in e(+)e(-) annihilation in the energy region between 3.650 and 3.872 GeV

We report measurements of the continuum R(uds) near the center-of-mass energy of 3.70 GeV, the R[uds(c)+psi(3770)](s) and the R(had)(s) values in e(+)e(-) annihilation at 68 energy points in the energy region between 3.650 and 3.872 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC Collider. We obtain the R(uds) for the continuum light hadron (containing u, d, and s quarks) production near the DD threshold to be R(uds)=2.141+/-0.025+/-0.085.     

Study of Bose-Einstein correlations in {\rm e}^ + {\rm e}^-\to {\rm W}^ + {\rm W}^- events at LEP

Bose-Einstein correlations between like-sign charged-particle pairs in events recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 183 GeV and 209 GeV are studied. Recently proposed methods which allow direct searches for correlations in the data via distributions of test variables are used to investigate the presence of correlations between hadrons originating from different W bosons in events. Within the statistics of the data sample no evidence for inter-WW Bose-Einstein correlations is obtained. The data are also compared with predictions of a recent implementation of Bose-Einstein correlation effects in the Monte Carlo model PYTHIAReceived: 24 March 2004, Revised: 7 June 2004, Published online: 20 July 2004     

Measurement and interpretation of fermion-pair production at LEP energies from 130 to 172 GeV

The data collected with the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 172 GeV, during LEP operation in 1995 and 1996, have been used to determine the hadronic and leptonic cross-sections and leptonic forward–backward asymmetries. In addition, the cross-section ratios and forward–backward asymmetries for flavour-tagged samples of light (uds), c and b quarks have been measured. No significant deviations from the Standard Model expectations are found. The results are interpreted by performing S-matrix fits to these data and to the data collected previously at the energies near the resonance peak (88-93 GeV). The results are also interpreted in terms of physics beyond the Standard Model: contact interactions, R-parity violating SUSY particle exchange and of possible Z bosons. Received: 9 February 1999 / Published online: 14 October 1999     

A measurement of R_{\rm b} using a double tagging method

The fraction of events in hadronic decays has been measured by the OPAL experiment using the data collected at LEP between 1992 and 1995. The decays were tagged using displaced secondary vertices, and high momentum electrons and muons. Systematic uncertainties were reduced by measuring the b-tagging efficiency using a double tagging technique. Efficiency correlations between opposite hemispheres of an event are small, and are well understood through comparisons between real and simulated data samples. A value of was obtained, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The uncertainty on , the fraction of events in hadronic decays, is not included in the errors. The dependence on is where $\Delta R_{\rm c}$ is the deviation of from the value 0.172 predicted by the Standard Model. The result for agrees with the value of predicted by the Standard Model. Received: 28 August 1998 / Published online: 7 April 1999     

{\bar{\rm P}}{\rm ANDA} at FAIR

The ${\bar{\rm P}}{\rm ANDA}$ experiment represents the central part of the hadron physics branch of the antiproton program of the new Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR) at Darmstadt/Germany. It will investigate antiproton annihilations with an almost 4?? acceptance from two sequent spectrometer in the momentum range from 1.5?to 15?GeV/c. The gluon rich reaction product of antiproton-proton and antiproton-nucleus collisions on one hand and the high intensity and phase space cooled antiproton beam of the HESR on the other hand constitutes an ideal environment to study the sector of non-conventional hadronic states.     

A comparison of b and uds quark jets to gluon jets

Symmetric three-jet events are selected from hadronic Z⁰ decays such that the two lower energy jets are each produced at an angle of about 150° with respect to the highest energy jet. In some cases, a displaced secondary vertex is reconstructed in one of the two lower energy jets, which permits the other lower energy jet to be identified as a gluon jet through anti-tagging. In other cases, the highest energy jet is tagged as a b jet or as a light quark (uds) jet using secondary vertex or track impact parameter and momentum information. Comparing the two lower energy jets of the events with a tag in the highest energy jet to the anti-tagged gluon jets yields a direct comparison of b, uds and gluon jets, which are produced with the same energy of about 24 GeV and under the same conditions. We observe b jets and gluon jets to have similar properties as measured by the angular distribution of particle energy around the jet directions and by the fragmentation functions. In contrast, gluon jets are found to be significantly broader and to have a markedly softer fragmentation function than uds jets. For the k _⊥ jet finder with y _cut=0.02, we find $${«ngle n^{? ch.}»ngle {? gluon}?er «ngle n^{? ch.}»ngle {? b} {? quark}}=1.089pm 0.024 ({? stat.})pm0.024 ({? syst.})$$ $${«ngle n^{? ch.}»ngle {? gluon}?er «ngle n^{? ch.}»ngle {? uds} {? quark}}=1.390pm 0.038 ({? stat.})pm0.032 ({? syst.})$$ as the ratios of the mean charged particle multiplicity in the gluon jets compared to the b and uds jets. Results are also reported using the cone jet finder.     

Determination of the b quark mass at the Z mass scale

In hadronic decays of Z bosons recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP, events containing b quarks were selected using the long lifetime of b flavoured hadrons. Comparing the 3-jet rate in b events with that in d,u,s and c quark events, a significant difference was observed. Using calculations for massive quarks, this difference was used to determine the b quark mass in the renormalisation scheme at the scale of the Z boson mass. By combining the results from seven different jet finders the running b quark mass was determined to be . Evolving this value to the b quark mass scale itself yields , consistent with results obtained at the b quark production threshold. This determination confirms the QCD expectation of a scale dependent quark mass. A constant mass is ruled out by 3.9 standard deviations. Received: 14 May 2001 / Published online: 17 August 2001     

Hadron masses in cavity quantum chromodynamics to order \alpha_{\rm s}^2

The non-divergent diagrams describing two-gluon exchange and annihilation between quarks and antiquarks are calculated in the Feynman gauge, based on quantum chromodynamics in a spherical cavity. Using the experimental N, , , and masses to fit the free parameters of the M.I.T. bag model, the predicted states agree very well with the observed low-lying hadrons. As expected, the two-gluon annihilation graphs lift the degeneracy of the and , while the and remain degenerate. Diagonalizing the subspace Hamiltonian yields a very good value for the mass of the meson. Received: 28 October 1999 / Revised version: 3 April 2000 / Published online: 8 June 2000     

A comparison of b and uds quark jets to gluon jets

Symmetric three-jet events are selected from hadronic Z⁰ decays such that the two lower energy jets are each produced at an angle of about 150° with respect to the highest energy jet. In some cases, a displaced secondary vertex is reconstructed in one of the two lower energy jets, which permits the other lower energy jet to be identified as a gluon jet through anti-tagging. In other cases, the highest energy jet is tagged as a b jet or as a light quark (uds) jet using secondary vertex or track impact parameter and momentum information. Comparing the two lower energy jets of the events with a tag in the highest energy jet to the anti-tagged gluon jets yields a direct comparison of b, uds and gluon jets, which are produced with the same energy of about 24 GeV and under the same conditions. We observe b jets and gluon jets to have similar properties as measured by the angular distribution of particle energy around the jet directions and by the fragmentation functions. In contrast, gluon jets are found to be significantly broader and to have a markedly softer fragmentation function than uds jets. For thek _⊥ jet finder withy _cut=0.02, we find as the ratios of the mean charged particle multiplicity in the gluon jets compared to the b and uds jets. Results are also reported using the cone jet finder.     

Measurement of A_{\rm FB}^b using inclusive b-hadron decays

Based on a sample of four million events collected by ALEPH from 1991 to 1995, a measurement of the forward-backward asymmetry in decays using inclusive final states is presented. High-performance tagging of events in a wide angular range is achieved using neural network techniques. An optimal hemisphere charge estimator is built by merging primary and secondary vertex information, leading kaon identification and jet charge in a neural network. The average charge asymmetry, the flavour tagging efficiencies and mean b-hemisphere charges are measured from data and used to extract the pole b asymmetry in the Standard Model corresponding to a value of the effective weak mixing angle of Received: 4 July 2001 / Published online: 12 November 2001     

Search for {\rm B_s}^0 oscillations using inclusive lepton events

A search for oscillations is performed using a sample of semileptonic b-hadron decays collected by the ALEPH experiment during 1991–95. Compared to previous inclusive lepton analyses, the proper time resolution and b-flavour mistag rate are significantly improved. Additional sensitivity to mixing is obtained by identifying subsamples of events having a purity which is higher than the average for the whole data sample. Unbinned maximum likelihood amplitude fits are performed to derive a lower limit of at the 95% confidence limit (95% CL). Combining with the ALEPH -based analyses yields at 95% CL. Received: 20 July 1998 / Published online: 19 February 1999     

Search for heavy bottomlike quarks decaying to an electron or muon and jets in pp collisions at √s = 1.96 TeV

We report the most sensitive direct search for pair production of fourth-generation bottomlike chiral quarks (b') each decaying promptly to tW. We search for an excess of events with an electron or muon, at least five jets (one identified as due to a b or c quark), and an imbalance of transverse momentum by using data from pp collisions collected by the CDF II detector at Fermilab with an integrated luminosity of 4.8 fb(-1). We observe events consistent with background expectation, calculate upper limits on the b' pair-production cross section (σ(bb')) ?30 fb for m(b') > 375 GeV/c2), and exclude m(b') < 372 GeV/c2 at 95% confidence level assuming a 100% branching ratio of b' to tW.     

Measurement of the {\rm\bf B_{\bf d}^{\bf 0}- {\bf \bar{B}}_{\bf d}^{\bf 0}} oscillation frequency

Time-dependent mixing is studied using about two million hadronic Z decays registered by L3 in 1994 and 1995. For this study three techniques are used. Tagging of the b-quark charge at decay time is performed by identifying leptons from semileptonic B decays. The flavour of the b quark at production time is determined from the charge of the lepton in the opposite hemisphere or by using a jet-charge technique. The proper time of the B-particle decay is obtained by reconstructing the production and decay vertices or by a measurement of the lepton impact parameter. The combined result for the frequency of meson oscillations is Received: 20 February 1998 / Revised version: 23 March 1998 / Published online: 12 August 1998     

Quantum numbers of the pentaquark states ${{\rm{P}}}_{{\rm{c}}}^{+}$ via symmetry analysis

We investigate the quantum numbers of the pentaquark states ${{\rm{P}}}_{{\rm{c}}}^{+}$, which are composed of 4 (three flavors) quarks and an antiquark, by analyzing their inherent nodal structure in this paper. Assuming that the four quarks form a tetrahedron or a square, and the antiquark is at the ground state, we determine the nodeless structure of the states with orbital angular moment L≤3, and in turn, the accessible low-lying states. Since the inherent nodal structure depends only on the inherent geometric symmetry, we propose the quantum numbers J^P of the low-lying pentaquark states ${{\rm{P}}}_{c}^{+}$ may be ${\tfrac{3}{2}}^{-}$, ${\tfrac{5}{2}}^{-}$, ${\tfrac{3}{2}}^{+}$and ${\tfrac{5}{2}}^{+}$, independent of dynamical models.     

Optically pumped,indirect-gap Al_{\rm x}Ga_{1-{\rm x}}As lasers

We demonstrate optically pumped lasers with active layers of indirect-gap AlGaAs operating up to room temperature. The emission wavelength is 609 nm at 20 K and 639 nm at 300 K, respectively. The laser threshold shows a weak sensitivity on the lattice temperature. The relevant parameters of the lectron-hole plasma close to threshold are determined from gain spectroscopy using the variable stripe-length method. Received: 20 June 1996 / Accepted: 14 August 1996     

QCD analyses and determinations of \alpha_s in {\rm e}^+{\rm e}^- annihilation at energies between 35 and 189 GeV

We employ data taken by the JADE and OPAL experiments for an integrated QCD study in hadronic ee annihilations at c.m.s. energies ranging from 35 GeV through 189 GeV. The study is based on jet-multiplicity related observables. The observables are obtained to high jet resolution scales with the JADE, Durham, Cambridge and cone jet finders, and compared with the predictions of various QCD and Monte Carlo models. The strong coupling strength, , is determined at each energy by fits of calculations, as well as matched and NLLA predictions, to the data. Matching schemes are compared, and the dependence of the results on the choice of the renormalization scale is investigated. The combination of the results using matched predictions gives The strong coupling is also obtained, at lower precision, from fits of the c.m.s. energy evolution of some of the observables. A qualitative comparison is made between the data and a recent MLLA prediction for mean jet multiplicities. Received: 13 December 1999 / Published online: 26 July 2000     

Search for scalar bottom quark pair production with the ATLAS detector in pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV

The results of a search for pair production of the scalar partners of bottom quarks in 2.05 fb(-1) of pp collisions at sqrt[s]=7 TeV using the ATLAS experiment are reported. Scalar bottom quarks are searched for in events with large missing transverse momentum and two jets in the final state, where both jets are identified as originating from a bottom quark. In an R-parity conserving minimal supersymmetric scenario, assuming that the scalar bottom quark decays exclusively into a bottom quark and a neutralino, 95% confidence-level upper limits are obtained in the b(1) - χ(1)(0) mass plane such that for neutralino masses below 60 GeV scalar bottom masses up to 390 GeV are excluded.     

Study of charm production in Z decays

The production rates of , , , , , and in decays are measured using the LEP I data sample recorded by the ALEPH detector. The fractional energy spectrum of the is well described as the sum of three contributions: charm hadronisation, b hadron decays and gluon splitting into a pair of heavy quarks. The probability for a c quark to hadronise into a is found to be . The average fraction of the beam energy carried by mesons in events is measured to be The energy and the hemisphere mass imbalance distributions are simultaneously used to measure the fraction of hadronic Z decays in which a gluon splits to a pair: The ratio of the Vector/(Vector+Pseudoscalar) production rates in charmed mesons is found to be . The fractional decay width of the Z into pairs is determined from the sum of the production rates for various weakly decaying charmed states to be Received: 21 September 1999 / Published online: 8 June 2000     

\Lambda, \bar{\Lambda} polarization and spin transfer in lepton deep-inelastic scattering

The flavor and helicity distributions of the and hyperons for both valence and sea quarks are calculated in a perturbative QCD (pQCD) based model. We relate these quark distributions to the fragmentation functions of and , and calculate the z-dependence of the longitudinal spin transfer to and in lepton deep-inelastic scattering (DIS). It is shown that the spin transfer to the is compatible with the first HERMES results at DESY, and further tests are suggested. We also make predictions for the z-dependence of the and longitudinal polarizations in neutrino (antineutrino) DIS processes. We investigate the sea contribution to the fragmentation functions, and we test a possible scenario where the sea quarks in (or the sea antiquarks in ) are negatively polarized, whereas the sea antiquarks in the (or the sea quarks in ) are positively polarized. The asymmetry of the polarized fragmentation functions of the sea quarks and antiquarks to and provides a way to understand the different behavior between the and spin transfers observed in the recent E665 experiment at FNAL. Received: 5 April 2000 / Published online: 26 July 2000