We measure forward cross sections for production of D+, D0, Ds, D*+, and Λc in collisions of π±, K±, and p on a nuclear target. Production induced by different beam particles is found to be the same within statistics. Strange and baryonic final states are seen to contribute appreciably to the total charm cross section, which our measurements indicate is larger than but consistent with QCD predictions. The energy dependence mapped out by these and previous measurements is consistent with theory. Leading-particle asymmetry measurements for K and p-induced charm production are also presented.
Leading particle asymmetries defined as (SIG(LEADING)- SIG(NONLEADING))/(SIG(LEADING)+SIG(NONLEADING)).
This final analysis of hadronic and leptonic cross-sections and of leptonic forward-backward asymmetries in e+e- collisions with the OPAL detector makes use of the full LEP1 data sample comprising 161 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity and 4.5 x 10^6 selected Z decays. An interpretation of the data in terms of contributions from pure Z exchange and from Z-gamma interference allows the parameters of the Z resonance to be determined in a model-independent way. Our results are in good agreement with lepton universality and consistent with the vector and axial-vector couplings predicted in the Standard Model. A fit to the complete dataset yields the fundamental Z resonance parameters: mZ = 91.1852 +- 0.0030 GeV, GZ = 2.4948 +- 0.0041 GeV, s0h = 41.501 +- 0.055 nb, Rl = 20.823 +- 0.044, and Afb0l = 0.0145 +- 0.0017. Transforming these parameters gives a measurement of the ratio between the decay width into invisible particles and the width to a single species of charged lepton, Ginv/Gl = 5.942 +- 0.027. Attributing the entire invisible width to neutrino decays and assuming the Standard Model couplings for neutrinos, this translates into a measurement of the effective number of light neutrino species, N_nu = 2.984 +- 0.013. Interpreting the data within the context of the Standard Model allows the mass of the top quark, mt = 162 +29-16 GeV, to be determined through its influence on radiative corrections. Alternatively, utilising the direct external measurement of mt as an additional constraint leads to a measurement of the strong coupling constant and the mass of the Higgs boson: alfa_s(mZ) = 0.127 +- 0.005 and mH = 390 +750-280 GeV.
The forward-backward charge asymmetry in E+ E- --> MU+ MU- production corrected to the simple kinematic acceptance region ABS(COS(THETA(P=5))) < 0.95 and THETA(C=ACOL) < 15 degrees, and the energy of each fermion required to be greaterthan 6 GeV. Statistical errors only are shown. Also given are the asymmetries a fter correction for the beam energy spread to correspond to the physical asymmetry at the central value of SQRT(S).
The forward-backward charge asymmetry in E+ E- --> TAU+ TAU- production corrected to the simple kinematic acceptance region ABS(COS(THETA(P=5))) < 0.90 andTHETA(C=ACOL) < 15 degrees, and the energy of each fermion required to be great er than 6 GeV. Statistical errors only are shown. Also given are the asymmetriesafter correction for the beam energy spread to correspond to the physical asymm etry at the central value of SQRT(S).
The forward-backward charge asymmetry in E+ E- --> E+ E- production corrected to the simple kinematic acceptance region ABS(COS(THETA(P=5))) < 0.70 and THETA(C=ACOL) < 10 degrees, and the energy of each fermion required to be greater than 6 GeV. Statistical errors only are shown. Also given are the asymmetries after correction for the beam energy spread to correspond to the physical asymmetryat the central value of SQRT(S).
We present the midrapidity charged pion invariant cross sections and the ratio of $\pi^-$-to-$\pi^+$ production ($5<p_T<13$ GeV/$c$), together with the double-helicity asymmetries ($5<p_T<12$ GeV/$c$) in polarized $p$$+$$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 200$ GeV. The cross section measurements are consistent with perturbative calculations in quantum chromodynamics within large uncertainties in the calculation due to the choice of factorization, renormalization, and fragmentation scales. However, the theoretical calculation of the ratio of $\pi^-$-to-$\pi^+$ production when considering these scale uncertainties overestimates the measured value, suggesting further investigation of the uncertainties on the charge-separated pion fragmentation functions is needed. Due to cancellations of uncertainties in the charge ratio, direct inclusion of these ratio data in future parameterizations should improve constraints on the flavor dependence of quark fragmentation functions to pions. By measuring charge-separated pion asymmetries, one can gain sensitivity to the sign of $\Delta G$ through the opposite sign of the up and down quark helicity distributions in conjunction with preferential fragmentation of positive pions from up quarks and negative pions from down quarks. The double-helicity asymmetries presented are sensitive to the gluon helicity distribution over an $x$ range of $\sim$0.03--0.16.
Double-helicity asymmetries and statistical uncertainties for $\pi^+$ and $\pi^-$ hadrons. The primary systematic uncertainties, which are fully correlated between points, are $1.4\times10^{-3}$ from relative luminosity and a $^{+7.0\%}_{-7.7\%}$ scaling uncertainty from beam polarization.
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