We observe a resonancelike structure in the total cross section for hadron production by e+e− colliding beams at a mass of 4414 ± 7 MeV having a total width Γ=33±10 MeV. From the area under this resonance, we deduce the partial width to electron pairs to be Γee=440±140 eV. Further structure of comparable width is present near 4.1 GeV.
The cross section for the production of π+π− or K+K− pairs in γγ interactions is measured for mππ between 1.7 and 3.5 GeV/c2 and for two intervals of γγ center-of-mass scattering angle. Results are compared with predictions of a QCD model.
We present a new high-statistics measurement of the cross section for the process e+e−→e+e−π+π− at a center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV for invariant pion-pair masses M(π+π−) between 350 MeV/c2 and 1.6 GeV/c2. We observe the f2(1270) and measure its radiative width to be 3.15±0.04±0.39 keV. We also observe an enhancement in the π+π− spectrum near 1 GeV. General agreement is found with unitarized models of the γγ→π+π− reaction that include final-state interactions.
The production of Λ hyperons in e+e− annihilation has been measured as a function of their total momenta, transverse momenta, and the event thrust. The total production rate is 0.213±0.012±0.018 Λ or Λ¯ per hadronic event. The observation of correlations in rapidity and angles for events with two detected Λ decays supports fragmentation models with local baryon-number compensation.
The production of the charmed meson state D*+ has been observed in e+e− annihilation at 29 GeV. The fragmentation function for charmed quarks appears to be peaked about z=0.5.
Inclusive Ω− production in e+e− annihilation at 29 GeV has been measured with the Mark II detector. From an integrated luminosity of 207 pb−1, we determine a production rate of 0.014±0.006±0.004 Ω−, Ω¯+ per hadronic event. This is roughly 35 times the Lund-model prediction of 0.0004 Ω−, Ω¯+ per hadronic event, but comparable to the Webber-model prediction of 0.006 Ω−, Ω¯+ per hadronic event. The large rate of Ω− production, compared with production rates for other baryons, and with theoretical predictions based on diquark models, indicates that spin suppression does not hold for Ω− production.
Inclusive Ξ− production in e+e− annihilation at 29 GeV has been measured with the Mark II detector. From an integrated luminosity of 207 pb−1, we determine a production rate of 0.017±0.004±0.004 Ξ−+Ξ¯+ per hadronic event. A search for Ξ*0(1530)→Ξ−π+ leads to an upper limit of N(Ξ*0)/N(Ξ−)<0.35 at a 90% confidence level.
We have studied several features of the production of charged-hardon pairs by γγ collisions. We have measured the f0 partial width Γf0→γγ(Q2) for Q2 in the range 0<Q2<1.4 GeV2/c2, and obtained Γf0→γγ=2.52±0.13±0.38 keV at Q2≈0. The measured Q2 dependence is in agreement with the generalized vector-dominance model. The cross section for γγ→(π+π−+K+K−) in the mass region 1.6≤Mππ≤2.5 GeV/c2 has also been measured and the result compared with that expected from the QCD continuum.
We have measured the K0+K¯ 0 inclusive cross section in e+e− annihilation at 29 GeV with the Mark II detector SLAC PEP. We find 1.27±0.03±0.15 K0+K¯ 0 per hadronic event. We have also used time-of-flight particle identification to measure the K± rate over the momentum range 300–900 MeV/c.
η production has been investigated by the Mark II collaboration at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP. η particles are reconstructed by their γγ decay mode. The η fragmentation function has been measured and found to be in good agreement with the Lund-model prediction. η′ production has been measured for the first time in high-energy e+e− annihilation. There is evidence at the 3σ level for Ds± decay into ηπ± and η′π±.