The inclusive production of the omega(782) vector meson in hadronic Z decays is measured and compared to model predictions. The analysis is based on 4 million hadronic Z decays recorded by the ALEPH detector between 1991 and 1995. The production rate for x_p = p_meson/p_beam > 0.05 is measured in the omega -> pi^+ pi^- pi^0 decay mode and found to be 0.585 +- 0.019_stat +- 0.033_sys per event. Inclusive eta meson production is also measured in the same decay channel for x_p > 0.10, obtaining 0.355 +- 0.011_stat +- 0.024_sys per event. The branching ratio for omega -> mu^+ mu^- is investigated. A total of 18.1 +- 5.9 events are observed, from which the muonic branching ratio is measured for the first time to be BR(omega -> mu^+ mu^-) = (9.0 +- 2.9_stat +- 1.1_sys)*10^-5.
The production rates of D*+-, Ds*+-, D+-, D0 / D0bar, Ds+, and Lambda_c in Z to ccbar decays are measured using the LEP I data sample recorded by the ALEPH detector. The fractional energy spectrum of the D*+- 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 D*+ is found to be f(c to D*+) = 0.233 +- 0.010 (stat.) +- 0.011 (syst.). The average fraction of the beam energy carried by D*+- mesons in Z to cc events is measured to be < X_E (D*+-) >_cc = 0.4878 +- 0.0046 (stat.) +- 0.0061 (syst.). The D*+- 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 cc pair: n_{gluon to cc} = (3.23 +- 0.48 (stat.) +- 0.53 (syst.) %. The ratio of the Vector/(Vector+Pseudoscalar) production rates in charmed mesons is found to be P_V = 0.595 +- 0.045. The fractional decay width of the Z into cc pairs is determined from the sum of the production rates for various weakly decaying charmed states to be Rc = 0.1738 +- 0.0047 (stat.) +- 0.0116 (syst.).
Previously published and as yet unpublished QCD results obtained with the ALEPH detector at LEP1 are presented. The unprecedented statistics allows detailed studies of both perturbative and non-perturbative aspects of strong interactions to be carried out using hadronic Z and tau decays. The studies presented include precise determinations of the strong coupling constant, tests of its flavour independence, tests of the SU(3) gauge structure of QCD, study of coherence effects, and measurements of single-particle inclusive distributions and two-particle correlations for many identified baryons and mesons.
The total hadronic cross section in e + e − annihilation has been measured at s = 57.77 GeV using 290 pb −1 data sample collected with the VENUS detector at KEK TRISTAN. The cross section obtained is 140.3 ±1.8 pb for s ′/ s ≥0.5, where s ′ is the square of the invariant mass of the final state hadrons. The present result together with the recent results from the LEP collaborations is used to determine the hadronic γ − Z 0 interference parameter, j tot had , to be 0.196±0.083. The result is in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 0.220.
Measurements of energy-energy correlations in hadronic final states produced in e + e − annihilation at c.m. energies between 7.7 and 31.6 GeV are presented. The data are compared to perturbative QCD predictions. Good qualitative agreement above 20 GeV c.m. energy is found. The importance of non-perturbative effects is discussed, as well as the detailed behaviour of the correlation near 180°.
We report a high-precision measurement of the ratio R of the total cross section for e+e−→hadrons to that for e+e−→μ+μ−, at a center-of-mass energy of 29.0 GeV using the MAC detector. The result is R=3.96±0.09. This value of R is used to determine a value of the strong coupling constant αs of 0.23±0.06, nearly independent of fragmentation models. Two different analysis methods having quite different event-selection criteria have been used and the results are in agreement. Particular attention has been given to the study of systematic errors. New higher-order QED calculations are used for the luminosity determination and the acceptance for hadrons.
e + e − annihilation into hadrons was studied at CM energies between 39.8 and 45.2 GeV and a search was made for new heavy quarks. No evidence was found for the existence of a narrow state excluding the possible existence of the lowest vector toponium state in this mass range. A search for continuum production of heavy quarks led to lower mass limits for new quarks of 22.0 GeV ( e Q = 2 3 ) and 21.0 GeV ( e Q = 1 3 ). Quarks are found to be pointlike, the corresponding mass parameter being larger than 288 GeV. A fit of the QCD and the electroweak contributions to R = σ tot / σ μμ yielded sin 2 θ W = 0.30 −0.07 +0.23 .
The ration R = σ (e + e − → hadrons) σ μμ was measured between 12.0 and 36.7 GeV c.m. energy W with a precision of typically ± 5.2%. R is found to be constant with an average R = 4.01 ± 0.03 (stat) ± (syst.) for W ⩾ 14 GeV. Quarks are found to be point-like, the mass parameter describing a possible quark form-factor being larger than 186 GeV. Fits including QCD corrections and a weak neutral-current contribution are presented.
The reaction e + e − → hadrons has been measured in the ϒ and ϒ′ region using the DASP detector at the DESY storage ring DORIS. The following final results are obtained: R had (9.5 GeV)=3.73±0.16±0.28, Γ ee ( ϒ )=(1.23 ± 0.08 ± 0.12) keV, B μμ ( ϒ )=(3.2±1.3±0.3)%, Γ ee Γ had Γ tot (ϒ′)=(0.55±0.11 ±0.06) keV , and M ( ϒ ′)− M ( ϒ )=(556 ±10) MeV.
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