We report on a high statistics study of π0 and η production in continuum events and in direct decays of the Γ(1S) and Γ(2S) resonances. The measured production rates per event are\(\left\langle {n_{\pi ^0 } } \right\rangle\)=3.22 ± 0.07 ± 0.31 (3.97 ± 0.23 ± 0.38) and 〈nη〉=0.19 ± 0.04 ± 0.04 (0.40 ± 0.14 ± 0.09) for continuum events (direct Γ(1S) decays).
We compared the multiplicities of pizero, eta, Kzero and of charged particles in quark and gluon jets in 3-jet events, as measured by the OPAL experiment at LEP. The comparisons were performed for distributions unfolded to 100% pure quark and gluon jets, at an effective scale Qjet which took into account topological dependences of the 3-jet environment. The ratio of particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets as a function of Qjet for pizero, eta and Kzero was found to be independent of the particle species. This is consistent with the QCD prediction that the observed enhancement in the mean particle rate in gluon jets with respect to quark jets should be independent of particle species. In contrast to some theoretical predictions and previous observations, we observed no evidence for an enhancement of eta meson production in gluon jets with respect to quark jets, beyond that observed for charged particles. We measured the ratio of the slope of the average charged particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets, C, and we compared it to a next-to-next-to-next-to leading order calculation. Our result, C=2.27+-0.20(stat+syst),is about one standard deviation higher than the perturbative prediction.
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±.
The inclusive production cross sections of η′ (958) andfo (975) mesons are measured ine+e− annihilation in the nonresonant continuum around\(\sqrt s= 10\) GeV and in decays of the υ resonances using the ARGUS detector. For η′ (958) mesons, a production ratio of η′ (958)/ηdir=0.35±0.24, with ηdir=η−BR(η′→ηX)·η′, is determined in direct υ(1S) decays, which can be partially explained by the pseudoscalar singlet/octet mixing. Forfo(975) production, we obtain a production ratio offo(975)/p(770)°=0.17±0.030 in direct υ(1S) decays. In its production features, thefo(975) behaves like an ordinary meson, though aK\(\bar K\) molecule nature cannot be excluded. The substantial production yield of thefo(975) meson demonstrates the important effect of feeddown from mesons beyond the basic multiples on pseudoscalar and vector meson production.
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