We report values of $R = \sigma(e^+e^-\to {hadrons})/\sigma(e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-)$ for 85 center-of-mass energies between 2 and 5 GeV measured with the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer at the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider.
Using the upgraded Beijing Spectrometer (BESII), we have measured the total cross section for $e^+e^-$ annihilation into hadronic final states at center-of-mass energies of 2.6, 3.2, 3.4, 3.55, 4.6 and 5.0 GeV. Values of $R$, $\sigma(e^+e^-\to {hadrons})/\sigma(e^+e^-\to\mu^+\mu^-)$, are determined.
Using the BES-II detector at the BEPC Collider, we measured the lowest order cross sections and the $R$ values ($R=\sigma^0_{e^+e^- \to {\rm hadrons}}/\sigma^0_{e^+e^- \to \mu^+\mu^-}$) for inclusive hadronic event production at the center-of-mass energies of 3.650 GeV, 3.6648 GeV and 3.773 GeV. The results lead to $\bar R_{uds}=2.224\pm 0.019\pm 0.089$ which is the average of these measured at 3.650 GeV and 3.6648 GeV, and $R=3.793\pm 0.037 \pm 0.190$ at $\sqrt{s}=3.773$ GeV. We determined the lowest order cross section for $\psi(3770)$ production to be $\sigma^{\rm B}_{\psi(3770)} = (9.575\pm 0.256 \pm 0.813)~{\rm nb}$ at 3.773 GeV, the branching fractions for $\psi(3770)$ decays to be $BF(\psi(3770) \to D^0\bar D^0)=(48.9 \pm 1.2 \pm 3.8)%$, $BF(\psi(3770) \to D^+ D^-)=(35.0 \pm 1.1 \pm 3.3)%$ and $BF(\psi(3770) \to D\bar{D})=(83.9 \pm 1.6 \pm 5.7)%$, which result in the total non-$D\bar D$ branching fraction of $\psi(3770)$ decay to be $BF(\psi(3770) \to {\rm non}-D\bar D)=(16.1 \pm 1.6 \pm 5.7)%$.
Using a data sample with a total integrated luminosity of 10.0 pb$^{-1}$ collected at center-of-mass energies of 2.6, 3.07 and 3.65 GeV with BESII, cross sections for $e^+e^-$ annihilation into hadronic final states ($R$ values) are measured with statistical errors that are smaller than 1%, and systematic errors that are about 3.5%. The running strong interaction coupling constants $\alpha_s^{(3)}(s)$ and $\alpha_s^{(5)}(M_Z^2)$ are determined from the $R$ values.
The production rates for 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-jet hadronic final states have been measured with the DELPHI detector at the e + e − storage ring LEP at centre of mass energies around 91.5 GeV. Fully corrected data are compared to O(α 2 s ) QCD matrix element calculations and the QCD scale parameter Λ MS is determined for different parametrizations of the renormalization scale ω 2 . Including all uncertainties our result is α s ( M 2 Z )=0.114±0.003[stat.]±0.004[syst.]±0.012[theor.].
We have performed a high statistics measurement of the production rate and the energy flow pattern of hadron events between √ s =33 and 36.7 GeV. The data show no evidence for the production of a new quark with charge 2 3 e . Planar events in e + e − →hadrons are shown to have three well separated jets. The production rate and the shape of three-jet events are compared with many models and we find that only the QCD model can explain the data.
We report on the results of the study of e + e − collisions at the highest PETRA energy of √ s = 31.57 GeV, using the 4π sr, electromagnetic and calorimetric detector Mark J. Based on 88 hadron events, and an integrated luminosity of 243 nb −1 we obtain R = σ (e + e − → hadrons)/ σ (e + e − → μ + μ − ) = 4.0 ± 0.5 (statistical) ± 6 (systematic). The R value, the measured thrust distribution and average spherocity show no evidence for the production of new quark flavors.
This report reviews the experimental investigation of high energy e + e − interactions by the MARK J collaboration at PETRA, the electron-positron colliding beam accelerator at DESY in Hamburg, Germany. The physics objectives include studies of several purely electromagnetic processes and hadronic final states, which further our knowledge of the nature of the fundamental constituents and of their strong, electromagnetic and weak interactions. Before discussing the physics results, the main features and the principal components of the MARK J detector are discussed in terms of design, function, and performance. Several aspects of the on-line data collection and the off-line analysis are also outlined. Results are presented on tests of quantum electrodynamics using e + e − → e + e − , μ + μ − and τ + τ − , on the measurement of R , the ratio of the hadronic to the point-like muon pair cross section, on the search for new quark flavors, on the discovery of three jet events arising from the radiation of hard noncollinear gluons as predicted by quantum chromodynamics, and on the determination of the strong coupling constant α s .