We present a study of the inclusive production of π 0 , η, K s 0 and Λ based on 929,000 hadronic Z decays recorded with the L3 detector at LEP. The measured inclusive momentum distributions have been compared with predictions from parton shower models as well as an analytical Quantum Chromodynamics calculation. Comparing to low energy e + e - data, we find that QCD describes the energy evolution of the hadron spectrum.
The production of Δ ++ baryons has been measured using 3.5 million hadronic Z 0 decays collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The production rate and fragmentation function are presented. A total of 0.22 ± 0.04 ± 0.04 Δ ++ + ( Δ ) −− per hadronic Z 0 decay is observed. The fragmentation function is found to be softer than that predicted by the JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo event generators. With this measurement of Δ ++ production, at least one baryon of each strangeness level in the lightest baryon decuplet has now been measured at LEP.
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.).
Using the CLEO II detector at CESR, we have observed two charmed states, where the higher mass state decays to D 0 π + and to D ∗0 π + , while the lower mass state decays to D ∗0 π + , but not to D 0 π + . The masses and widths were measured to be 2425±2±2 MeV/c 2 and 26 −7−4 +8+4 MeV/c 2 for the lower mass state, and 2463±3±3 MeV/c 2 and 27 −8−5 +11+5 MeV/c 2 for the higher mass state. Properties of these states, including their decay angular distributions and spin-parity assignments have been studied. The results of this analysis support the identification of these states as the charged L = 1 D 1 (2420) + and D 2 ∗ (2460) + , respectively. The isospin mass splittings between these states and their neutral partners have also been measured. This is the first full reconstruction of any decay mode of the D 1 (2420) + and the first observation of the decay of D 2 ∗ (2460) + to D ∗0 π + .
Using the CLEO~II detector, we have measured the differential cross sections for exclusive two-photon production of light pseudoscalar mesons $\pi^0$, $\eta$, and $\eta^{\prime}$. From our measurements we have obtained the form factors associated with the electromagnetic transitions $\gamma^*\gamma$ $\to$ meson. We have measured these form factors in the momentum transfer ranges from 1.5 to 9, 20, and 30 GeV$^2$ for $\pi^0$, $\eta$, and $\eta^{\prime}$, respectively, and have made comparisons to various theoretical predictions.
Using data recorded by the CLEO-II detector at CESR, we report evidence of a pair of excited charmed baryons, one decaying into Λc+π+ and the other into Λc+π−. The doubly charged state has a measured mass difference M(Λc+π+)−M(Λc+) of 234.5±1.1±0.8 MeV/c2 and a width of 17.9−3.2+3.8±4.0MeV/c2, and the neutral state has a measured mass difference M(Λc+π−)−M(Λc+) of 232.6±1.0±0.8 MeV/c2 and a width of 13.0−3.0+3.7±4.0MeV/c2. We interpret these data as evidence of the Σc*++ and Σc*0, the spin 32+ excitations of the Σc baryons.
Using the CLEO II detector operating at the e + e − Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR), we present evidence for new decay modes of the Ξ c + into Ξ 0 π + , Ξ 0 π + π 0 , and Ξ 0 π + π − π + . The branching ratios of these decay modes, relative to Ξ c + → Ξ − π + π + , have been measured to be 0.55±0.13±0.09, 2.34±0.57±0.37, and 1.74±0.42±0.27, respectively.
Measurements of helicity density matrix elements have been made for the φ(1020), D*± and B* vector mesons in multihadronic Z0 decays in the OPAL experiment at LEP. Results for inclusive φ produced with high energy show evidence for production preferentially in the helicity zero state, with ρ00 = 0.54 ± 0.08, compared to the value of 1/3 expected for no spin alignment. The corresponding element for the D*± has a value of 0.40 ± 0.02, also suggesting a deviation from 1/3. The B* result, with ρ00 = 0.36 ± 0.09, is consistent with no spin alignment. Off-diagonal elements have been measured for the f and D* mesons; for the D* the element Re ρ1−1 is non-zero, indicating non-independent fragmentation of the primary quarks.
The production rates of the $J_{P}={1⩈er 2}^{+}$ octet Σ baryons in hadronic Z0 decays have been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The inclusive production rates per hadronic Z0 decay of the three isospin states (including the respective antiparticle) have been separately measured for the first time: $άtrix {n_{Sigma^{+}}=0.099pm 0.008pm 0.013ŗ n_{Sigma^{0}}=0.071pm 0.012pm 0.013ŗ n_{Sigma^{-}}=0.083pm 0.006pm 0.009ŗ}$ where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. Differential cross-sections are also presented for the Σ+ and Σ− and compared with JETSET and HERWIG predictions. Assuming full isospin symmetry, the average inclusive rate is: ${1⩈er 3}[n_{Sigma^{+}+Sigma^{0}+Sigma^{-}}]=0.084pm 0.005 ({⤪ stat.}) pm 0.008 ({⤪ syst.})$.
The inclusive production of charged hadrons in the collisions of quasi-real photons e+e- -> e+e- +X has been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The data were taken at e+e- centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. The differential cross-sections as a function of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the hadrons are compared to theoretical calculations of up to next-to-leading order (NLO) in the strong coupling constant alpha{s}. The data are also compared to a measurement by the L3 Collaboration, in which a large deviation from the NLO predictions is observed.