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We report on a measurement of the mass of the Z 0 boson, its total width, and its partial decay widths into hadrons and leptons. On the basis of 25 801 hadronic decays and 1999 decays into electrons, muons or taus, selected over eleven energy points between 88.28 GeV and 95.04 GeV, we obtain from a combined fit to hadrons and leptons a mass of M z =91.154±0.021 (exp)±0.030 (LEP) GeV, and a total width of Γ z =2.536±0.045 GeV. The errors on M z have been separated into the experimental error and the uncertainty due to the LEP beam energy. The measured leptonic partial widths are Γ ee =81.2±2.6 MeV, Γ μμ =82.6± 5.8 MeV, and Γ ττ =85.7±7.1 MeV, consistent with lepton universality. From a fit assuming lepton universality we obtain Γ ℓ + ℓ − = 81.9±2.0 MeV. The hadronic partial width is Γ had =1838±46 MeV. From the measured total and partial widths a model independent value for the invisible width is calculated to be Γ inv =453±44 MeV. The errors quoted include both the statistical and the systematic uncertainties.

We have measured the partial width and forward-backward charge asymmetry for the reaction e + e - →Z 0 →μ + μ - (γ). We obtain a partial width Γ μμ of 83.3±1.3(stat)±0.9(sys) MeV and the following values for the vector and axial vector couplings: g v =−0.062 −0.015 +0.020 and g A =−0.497 −0.005 +0.005 . From our measurement of the partial width and the mass of the Z 0 boson we determine the effective electroweak mixing angle, sin 2 θ w =0.232±0.005, and the neutral current coupling strength parameter, ϱ =0.998±0.016.

We have measured the partial widths for the three reactions e + e − → Z 0 → e + e − , μ + μ − , τ + τ − . The results are Γ ee = 84.3±1.3 MeV, √ Γ ee Γ μμ =83.9±1.4 MeV, and √ Γ ee Γ ττ =83.9±1.4 MeV, where the errors are statistical. The systematic errors are estimated to be 1.0 MeV, 0.9 MeV, and 1.4 MeV, respectively. We perform a simultaneous fit to the cross sections for the e + e − →e + e − , μ + μ − , and τ + τ − data, the differential cross section as a function of polar angle for the electron data, and the forward- backward asymmetry for the muon data. We obtain the leptonic partial with Γ ℓℓ =84.0±0.9 (stat.) MeV. The systematic error is estimated to be 0.8 MeV. Also, we obtain the axial-vector and vector weak coupling constants of charged leptons, g A =−0.500±0.003 and g ν =−0.064 −0.013 +0.017 .

We report the results of first physics runs of the L3 detector at LEP. Based on 2538 hadron events, we determined the mass m z 0 and the width Γ z 0 of the intermediate vector boson Z 0 to be m z 0 =91.132±0.057 GeV (not including the 46 MeV LEP machine energy uncertainty) and Γ z 0 =2.588±0.137 GeV. We also determined Γ invisible =0.567±0.080 GeV, corresponding to 3.42±0.48 number of neutrino flavors. We also measured the muon pair cross section and determined the branching ratio Γ μμ = Γ h =0.056±0.006. The partial width of Z 0 →e + e − is Γ ee =88±9±7 MeV.

The L3 detector at LEP has been used to determine the number of light neutrino families by measuring the cross section of single photon even in e + e − collisions at energies near the Z 0 resonance. We have observed 61 single photon candidates with more than 1.5 GeV of deposited energy in the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter, for a total integrated luminosity of 3.0 pb −1 . From a likelihood fir to the single photon cross sections, we determin N ν =3.24 ± 0.46 ( statistical ) ±0.22 ( systematic ).

Quark and gluon jets in e + e − three-jet events at LEP are identified using lepton tagging of quark jets, through observation of semi-leptonic charm and bottom quark decays. Events with a symmetry under transposition of the energies and directions of a quark and gluon jet are selected: these quark and gluon jets have essentially the same energy and event environment and as a consequence their properties can be compared directly. The energy of the jets which are studied is about 24.5 GeV. In the cores of the jets, gluon jets are found to yield a softer particle energy spectrum than quark jets. Gluon jets are observed to be broader than quark jets, as seen from the shape of their particle momentum spectra both in and out of the three-jet event plane. The greater width of gluon jets relative to quark jets is also visible from the shapes of their multiplicity distributions. Little difference is observed, however, between the mean value of particle multiplicity for the two jet types.

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We have measured the differential cross section for p¯p and pp elastic scattering at s=53 GeV in the interval 0.5<|t|<4.0 (GeV/c)2 at the CERN intersecting storage rings using the split-field magnet detector. The shape of the differential cross section differs significantly between p¯p and pp scattering in the region 1.1<|t|<1.5 (GeV/c)2, with p¯p data showing a less pronounced dip structure than pp data.

Using the Mark-J detector at the high-energy e+e− collider PETRA, we compare the data from hadron production with the complete second-order QCD calculation over the energy region 22 to 46.78 GeV. We determine the QCD parameter Λ=100±30−45+60 MeV which yields the strong-coupling constant αs=0.12±0.02 for s=44 GeV.

We have determined the strong coupling αs from measurements of jet rates in hadronic decays of Z0 bosons collected by the SLD experiment at SLAC. Using six collinear and infrared safe jet algorithms we compared our data with the predictions of QCD calculated up to second order in perturbation theory, and also with resummed calculations. We find αs(MZ2)=0.118±0.002(stat)±0.003(syst)±0.010(theory), where the dominant uncertainty is from uncalculated higher order contributions.

From an analysis of multi-hadron events from Z 0 decays, values of the strong coupling constant α s ( M 2 Z 0 )=0.131±0.006 (exp)±0.002(theor.) and α s ( M z 0 2 ) = −0.009 +0.007 (exp.) −0.002 +0.006 (theor.) are derived from the energy-energy correlation distribution and its asymmetry, respectively, assuming the QCD renormalization scale μ = M Z 0 . The theoretical error accounts for differences between O ( α 2 s ) calculations. A two parameter fit Λ MS and the renormalization scale μ leads to Λ MS =216±85 MeV and μ 2 s =0.027±0.013 or to α s ( M 2 Z 0 )=0.117 +0.006 −0.008 (exp.) for the energy-energy correlation distribution. The energy-energy correlation asymmetry distribution is insensitive to a scale change: thus the α s value quoted above for this variable includes the theoretical uncertainty associated with the renormalization scale.

We have measured the photon yield in lepton pair events recorded by the OPAL detector in a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 7.1 pb −1 at centre-of-mass energies between 88 GeV and 94 GeV. The results are compared to QED expectations for initial and final state photon radiation. No anomalous photon yield has been found, and stringent limits on the branching ratio for exotic radiative three body Z 0 decays into a photon and a pair of leptons are obtained. We also place limits on possible Z 0 decays into a photon and a resonance X with subsequent decays of X into a pair of leptons. Acollinear μ + μ − events with missing momentum along the beam direction are identified as events with hard initial state photon radiation and used to measure an average cross section of 15 ± 8 6 pb for e + e − annihilation into μ + μ − , in the so far untested range of centre-of-mass energies between 60 GeV and 84 GeV. This value is consistent with a cross section of 24 pb, expected from Z 0 and photon exchange.

The total photoproduction cross section is determined from a measurement of electroproduction with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The Q 2 values of the virtual photons are in the range 10 −7 < Q 2 <2×10 −2 GeV 2 . The γp total cross section in the γp centre of mass energy range 186–233 GeV is 154 ± 16 (stat.) ± 32 (syst.) μ b.

The production of the octet and decuplet baryons Λ, Ξ − , Σ (1385) ± , Ξ(1530) 0 and Ω − and the corresponding antibaryons has been measured in a sample of 485 000 hadronic Z 0 decays. Results on differential and integrated cross sections are presented. The differential cross section of Λ baryons is found to be softer than the one predicted by the Jetset and Herwig Monte Carlo generators. The measured decuplet yields are found to disagree with the simple diquark picture where only one tuning parameter for spin 1 diquarks is used. Comparisons of the momentum spectra for Λ and Ξ − with the predictions of an analytical QCD formula are also presented.

We have measured the forward-backward asymmetry in Z 0 → b b decays using hadronic events containing muons and electrons. The data sample corresponds to 118 200 hadronic events at √ s ≈ M z . From a fit to the single and dilepton p and P ⊥ spectra, we determine A b b =0.130 −0.042 +0.044 including the correction for B 0 − B 0 mixing.

The production rate of final state photons in hadronic Z 0 decays is measured as a function of y cut = M ij 2 / E cm 2 the jet resolution parameter and minimum mass of the photon-jet system. Good agreement with the theoretical expectation from an O( αα s ) matrix element calculation is observed. Comparing the measurement and the prediction for y cut = 0.06, where the experimental systematic and statistical errors and the theoretical uncertainties are small, and combining this measurement with our result for the hadronic width of the Z 0 , we derived partial widths of up and down type quarks to be Γ u = 333 ± 55 ± 72 MeV and Γ d = 358 ± 37 ± 48 MeV in agreement with the standard model expectations. We compare our yield with the QCD shower models including photon radiation. At low γ cut JETSET underestimates the photon yield, and ARIADNE describes the production rate well.

We present a measurement of the forward-backward charge asymmetry in hadronic decays of the Z 0 using data collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The forward-backward charge asymmetry was measured using a weight function method which gave the number of forward events on a statistical basis. In a data sample of 448 942 hadronic Z 0 decays, we have observed a charge asymmetry of A h = 0.040±0.004 (stat.)±0.006 (syst.)±0.002 (B 0 B 0 mix.), taking into account the effect of B 0 B 0 mixing. In the framework of the standard model, this asymmetry corresponds to an effective weak mixing angle averaged over five quark flavours of sin 2 θ W = 0.2321 ± 0.0017 ( stat. ) ± 0.0027 ( syst. ) ± 0.0009 (B 0 B 0 mix.). The result agrees with the value obtained from the Z 0 line shape and lepton pair forward-backward asymmetry.

With use of the MARK-J detector at s=34.7 GeV 21 000 e+e−→hadron events have been collected. By measurement of the asymmetry in angular energy correlations the strong coupling constant αs=0.13±0.01 (statistical)±0.02 (systematic) is determined, in complete second order, and independent of the fragmentation models and QCD cutoff values used.

We have measured the cross section for e + e − →hadrons over the center of mass energy range of the Z 0 peak, from 88.22 to 95.03 GeV. We determine the Z 0 mass M z =91.164±0.013 (experiment) ±0.030 (LEP) GeV. Within the framework of the standard model we determine the invisible width, Γ invisible =0.502±0.018 GeV, and the number of light neutrino species, N ν =3.01±0.11. We exclude the existence of a supersymmetric scalar neutrino having a mass less than 31.4 GeV, at the 95% confidence level. We performed a model independent combined fit to the e + e − →hadrons and e + e − → μ + μ − data to determine total width, leptonic width and hadronic width of the Z 0 .

The first prompt photon measurement from the CDF experiment at the Fermilab pp¯ Collider is presented. Two independent methods are used to measure the cross section: one for high transverse momentum (PT) and one for lower PT. Comparisons to various theoretical calculations are shown. The cross section agrees qualitatively with QCD calculations but has a steeper slope at low PT.

A search for excited states of the standard model fermions was performed using the ZEUS detector at the HERA electron-proton collider, operating at a centre of mass energy of 296 GeV. In a sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 0.55 pb−1, no evidence was found for any resonant state decaying into final states composed of a fermion and a gauge boson. Limits on the coupling strength times branching ratio of excited fermions are presented for masses between 50 GeV and 250 GeV, extending previous search regions significantly.

We have searched for signatures of polarization in hadronic jets from $Z~0 \rightarrow q \bar{q}$ decays using the ``jet handedness'' method. The polar angle asymmetry induced by the high SLC electron-beam polarization was used to separate quark jets from antiquark jets, expected to be left- and right-polarized, respectively. We find no evidence for jet handedness in our global sample or in a sample of light quark jets and we set upper limits at the 95\% C.L. of 0.063 and 0.099 respectively on the magnitude of the analyzing power of the method proposed by Efremov {\it et al.}

We report on a search for new quarks in hadronic Z° decays. From the event shape analysis of a data sample containing 2185 multihadronic annihilation events, we observe no evidence for the top or b' quarks. We derive limits for the top and b' quark masses under the assumption of various possible standard model and non-standard model decay schemes. Our search is sensitive to quark masses larger than 23 GeV/ c 2 ; it yields the following lower limits at a 95% confidence level: 44.5 GeV/ c 2 for the top quark mass and 45.2 GeV/ c 2 for the b′ quark mass.

In this paper an investigation of the production of D ∗ ± mesons produced in e + e − collisions at energies around the Z 0 pole is presented. Based on 115 D ∗ ± mesons with x D∗  2E D ∗ /E cm > 0.2 the properties of D ∗ mesons produced in the reaction Z 0 → c c are studied. Fixing the yield and the fragmentation function of bottom quarks to the values obtained at LEP using lepton tags, and average energy fraction of the D ∗ ± mesons from primary charmed quarks of 〈x c → D ∗ 〉 = 0.52 ± 0.03 +- 0.01 is found and Γ z 0 →c c = (323 ± 61 ± 35) MeV is determined. The first error is the combined statistical and systematic error from this experiment, and the second the total error from other sources.

Relative production rates of multijet hadronic final states of Z 0 boson decays, observed in e + e − annihilation around 91 GeV centre of mass energy, are presented. The data can be well described by analytic O( α s 2 ) QCD calculations and by QCD shower model calaculations with parameters as determined at lower energies. A first judgement of Λ MS and of the renormalization scale μ 2 in O( α s 2 ) QCD results in values similar to those obtained in the continuum of e + e − annihilations. Significant scaling violations are observed when the 3-jet fractions are compared to the corresponding results from smaller centre of mass energies. They can be interpreted as being entirely due tot the energy dependence of α s , as proposed by the nonabelian nature of QCD, The possibility of an energy independent coupling constant can be excluded with a significance of 5.7 standard deviations.

The production of K 0 mesons in e + e − interactions at center of mass energies in the region of the Z 0 mass has been investigated with the OPAL detector at LEP. The rate is found to be 2.10±0.02±0.14 K 0 , Z 0 per hadronic event. The predictions from the JETSET and HERWIG generators agree very well with both the rate and the scale invariant cross section (1/σ had β) (dσ/d x E ) for K 0 production. Comparisons of the inclusive momentum spectrum with predictions of an analytical QCD formula and with data from lower center of mass energies are presented.

A study of b quark fragmentation at LEP is presented using a sample of semileptonic B decays containing a fully reconstructed charm meson. The data are compared to several theoretical models for heavy quark fragmentation; the free parameters in these models are fitted and the sensitivity of the model parameters to the rate of P-wave B meson production is studied. The mean scaled energy fraction of B 0 and B + mesons has been determined to be < x E > = 0.695 ± 0.006 ± 0.003 ± 0.007, where the errors are statistical, systematic and model dependence respectively. This result is consistent with previous, less direct measurements from inclusive leptonic B decays. Also presented is a model independent fit to the shape of the energy distribution of weakly decaying B mesons at LEP.

We study the inclusive momentum distribution of charged particles in multihadronic events produced in e + e − annihilations at E CM ∼ M (Z 0 ). We find agreement with the analytical formulae for gluon production that include the phenomena of soft gluon interference. Using data from CM energies between 14 and 91 GeV, we study the dependence of the inclusive momentum distribution on the centre of momentum energy. We find that the analytical formulae describe the data over the entire energy range. Both the momentum distribution at a fixed energy and the change with energy are described by QCD shower Monte Carlo's which include either coherent gluon branchings or string fragmentation. Simple incoherent models with independent fragmentation fail to reproduce the energy dependence and momentum spectra.

The pure QED reaction e + e − → γγ has been studied at centre of mass energies around the mass of the Z 0 boson using data recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP. The results are in good agreement with the QED prediction. Lower limits on the cutoff parameters of the modified electron propagator are found to be Λ + >89 GeV and Λ. The lower limit on the mass of an excited electron is 82 GeV assuming the coupling constant λ =1. Upper limits on the branching ratios of Z 0 → γγ , Z 0 → π 0 γ and Z 0 → ηγ are set at 3.7×10 −4 , 3.9×10 −4 and 5.8×10 −4 respectively. Two events from the reaction e + e − → γγγ have been observed, consistent with the QED prediction. An upper limit on the branching ratio of Z 0 → γγγ is set at 2.8×10 −4 . All the limits are given at 95% confidence level.

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We present a study of 43 000 3-jet events from Z 0 boson decays. Both the measured jet energy distributions and the event orientation are reproduced by second order QCD. An alternative model with scalar gluons fails to describe the data.

We have measured the total and differential cross sections of the reaction e + e − → γγ ( γ ) at center-of-mass energies around 91 GeV, with an integrated luminosity of 14.2 pb −1 . The results are in good agreement with QED predictions. We set lower limits, at 95% confidence level, on the QED cutoff parameters of Λ + > 139 GeV, Λ − > 108 GeV and on the mass of an excited electron of m e∗ > 127 GeV . We searched for Z 0 rare decays with photonic signitures in the final state. Upper limits, at 95% confidence level, for branching ratio of Z 0 decaying into π 0 γ / γγ , νγ and γγγ are 1.2 × 10 −4 , 1.8 × 10 −4 , 3.3 × 10 −5 respectively.

We present a comparison of the strong couplings of light ($u$, $d$, and $s$), $c$, and $b$ quarks determined from multijet rates in flavor-tagged samples of hadronic $Z~0$ decays recorded with the SLC Large Detector at the SLAC Linear Collider. Flavor separation on the basis of lifetime and decay multiplicity differences among hadrons containing light, $c$, and $b$ quarks was made using the SLD precision tracking system. We find: $\alpha_s{_{\vphantom{y}}}~{uds}/{\alpha_s{_{\vphantom{y}}}~{\rm all}} = 0.987 \pm 0.027({\rm stat}) \pm 0.022({\rm syst}) \pm 0.022({\rm theory})$, $\alpha_s{_{\vphantom{y}}}~c/{\alpha_s{_{\vphantom{y}}}~{\rm all}} = 1.012 \pm 0.104 \pm 0.102 \pm 0.096$, and $\alpha_s{_{\vphantom{y}}}~b/{\alpha_s{_{\vphantom{y}}}~{\rm all}} = 1.026 \pm 0.041 \pm 0.041\pm 0.030.$

The proton is composed of quarks and gluons, bound by the most elusive mechanism of strong interaction called confinement. In this work, the dynamics of quarks and gluons are investigated using deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS): produced by a multi-GeV electron, a highly virtual photon scatters off the proton which subsequently radiates a high energy photon. Similarly to holography, measuring not only the magnitude but also the phase of the DVCS amplitude allows to perform 3D images of the internal structure of the proton. The phase is made accessible through the quantum-mechanical interference of DVCS with the Bethe-Heitler (BH) process, in which the final photon is emitted by the electron rather than the proton. We report herein the first full determination of the BH-DVCS interference by exploiting the distinct energy dependences of the DVCS and BH amplitudes. In the high energy regime where the scattering process is expected to occur off a single quark in the proton, these accurate measurements show an intriguing sensitivity to gluons, the carriers of the strong interaction.

The ratio of production cross sections of the W and Z bosons with exactly one associated jet is presented as a function of jet transverse momentum threshold. The measurement has been designed to maximise cancellation of experimental and theoretical uncertainties, and is reported both within a particle-level kinematic range corresponding to the detector acceptance and as a total cross-section ratio. Results are obtained with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in pp collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 7 TeV using an integrated luminosity of 33 pb^-1. The results are compared with perturbative leading-order, leading-log, and next-to-leading-order QCD predictions, and are found to agree within experimental and theoretical uncertainties. The ratio is measured for events with a single jet with p_T > 30 GeV to be 8.73 +/- 0.30 (stat) +/- 0.40 (syst) in the electron channel, and $ 8.49 +/- 0.23 (stat) +/- 0.33 (syst) in the muon channel.

The LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) experiment is a dark matter detector centered on a dual-phase xenon time projection chamber. We report searches for new physics appearing through few-keV-scale electron recoils, using the experiment's first exposure of 60 live days and a fiducial mass of 5.5t. The data are found to be consistent with a background-only hypothesis, and limits are set on models for new physics including solar axion electron coupling, solar neutrino magnetic moment and millicharge, and electron couplings to galactic axion-like particles and hidden photons. Similar limits are set on weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter producing signals through ionized atomic states from the Migdal effect.

We present an analysis of the K ππ system produced in 10 GeV/ c K + p interactions. We show that the low-mass enchancement between 1.2 and 1.4 GeV/ c 2 on the K ππ mass spectrum is predominantly 1 + throughout, give the relative amplitudes for the decay of this system into K ∗ (890) π and K ρ , and offer new evidence for the presence of two 1 + resonances in this mass region.

We present results on an amplitude analysis of the K + K − system produced in the reaction π − p→K + K − n from threshold up to 2.2 GeV. The branching ratios of f 0 and f' to K K have been determined. In the low mass region of the K K system the observation of an S-wave enhancement at 1.3 GeV and the interference of the f 0 -A 2 -f' mesons are studied. We observe a 3 − structure in the mass region of 1.7 GeV which is consistent with g 0 production. With this interpretation the branching ratio g→ K K has been determined. Evidence for a new structure in the J p = 2 + wave around 1.8 GeV with a width of ∼200 MeV is presented.

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Measurements are presented of the properties of high transverse momentum jets, produced in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 35 pb^-1 and were collected with the ATLAS detector in 2010. Jet mass, width, eccentricity, planar flow and angularity are measured for jets reconstructed using the anti-kt algorithm with distance parameters R = 0.6 and 1.0, with transverse momentum pT > 300 GeV and pseudorapidity |eta| < 2. The measurements are compared to the expectations of Monte Carlo generators that match leading-logarithmic parton showers to leading-order, or next-to-leading-order, matrix elements. The generators describe the general features of the jets, although discrepancies are observed in some distributions.

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We have searched for a neutral $H$ dibaryon decaying via $H\rightarrow\Lambda n$ and $H\rightarrow\Sigma~0 n$. Our search has yielded two candidate events from which we set an upper limit on the $H$ production cross section. Normalizing to the inclusive $\Lambda$ production cross section, we find $(d\sigma_H/d\Omega)\,/\,(d\sigma_\Lambda/d\Omega) < 6.3\times 10~{-6}$ at 90\% C.L., for an $H$ of mass $\approx$\,2.15GeV/$c~2$.

We report on an improved measurement of the value of the strong coupling constant σ s at the Z 0 peak, using the asymmetry of the energy-energy correlation function. The analysis, based on second-order perturbation theory and a data sample of about 145000 multihadronic Z 0 decays, yields α s ( M z 0 = 0.118±0.001(stat.)±0.003(exp.syst.) −0.004 +0.0009 (theor. syst.), where the theoretical systematic error accounts for uncertainties due to hadronization, the choice of the renormalization scale and unknown higher-order terms. We adjust the parameters of a second-order matrix element Monte Carlo followed by string hadronization to best describe the energy correlation and other hadronic Z 0 decay data. The α s result obtained from this second-order Monte Carlo is found to be unreliable if values of the renormalization scale smaller than about 0.15 E cm are used in the generator.

We present a new measurement of the left-right cross section asymmetry (ALR) for Z boson production by e+e- collisions. The measurement was performed at a center-of-mass energy of 91.28 GeV with the SLD detector at the SLAC Linear Collider (SLC). The luminosity-weighted average polarization of the SLC electron beam was (77.23+-0.52)%. Using a sample of 93,644 Z decays, we measure the pole-value of the asymmetry, ALR0, to be 0.1512+-0.0042(stat.)+-0.0011(syst.) which is equivalent to an effective weak mixing angle of sin**2(theta_eff)=0.23100+-0.00054(stat.)+-0.00014(syst.).

The couplings of the Z 0 to charged leptons are studied using measurements of the lepton pair cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries at centre of mass energies near to the mass of the Z 0 . The data are consistent with lepton universality. Using a parametrisation of the lepton pair differential cross section which assumes that the Z 0 has only vector and axial couplings to leptons, the charged leptonic partial decay width of the Z 0 is determined to be Г ol+ol− = 83.1±1.9 MeV and the square of the product of the effective axial vector and vector coupling constants of the Z 0 to charged leptons to be a ̌ 2 ol v ̌ 2 ol = 0.0039± 0.0083 , in agreement with the standard model. A parametrisation in the form of the improved Born approximation gives effective leptonic axial vector and vector coupling constants a ̌ 2 ol = 0.998±0.024 and v ̌ 2 ol = 0.0044±0.0083 . In the framework of the standard model, the values of the parameters ϱ z and sin 2 θ w are found to be 0.998±0.024 and 0.233 +0.045 −0.012 respectively. Using the relationship in the minimal standard model between ϱ z and sin 2 θ w , the results sin 2 θ SM w = 0.233 +0.007 −0.006 is obtained. Our previously published measurement of the ratio of the hadronic to the leptonic partial width of the Z 0 is update: R z = 21.72 +0.71 −0.65 .

Experimental results on the reaction π − p → K ∗0 (890) X 0 at 10 GeV /c are presented. By using the K ∗0 polarization measurements, a detailed study of the production has been carried out as a function of the missing mass squared and of the four-momentum trasnfer squared to the K ∗0 . We found that: (a) K ∗0 production is dominated by natural parity exchange; (b) K ∗0 helicity-zero production dominates the unnatural parity exchange contribution and (c) the main features of the reaction are in agreement with the predictions of the finite mass sum rules.

The reaction π − p→ π 0 ηn ↳2y ↳2y has been analyzed using data of an experimental performed at the 70 GeV accelerator, with the NICE 648 channel hodoscope spectrometer for γ ray detection. Events with 4 γ seen are used for the analysis. A method is applied, which allows the determination of the number of π 0 η events for each mass, cos θ GJ and t bin. Mass spectra, t distributions and decay angular distributions for the π 0 η system are presented. The cross section for the production of A 2 0 is found to be 2.7 ± 1.1 μ b at 40 GeV/ c beam momentum. No indication of a resonant 1 − state in the π 0 η system is observed, in spite of the fact that this state is allowed for the π 0 η system on the same footing as the observed 0 + and 2 + resonances.

The reactions gamma gamma -> pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^- and gamma gamma -> pi^+pi^0pi^-pi^0 are studied with the L3 detector at LEP in a data sample collected at centre-of-mass energies from 161GeV to 209GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 698/pb. A spin-parity-helicity analysis of the rho^0 rho^0 and rho^+ rho^- systems for two-photon centre-of-mass energies between 1GeV and 3GeV shows the dominance of the spin-parity state 2+ with helicity 2. The contribution of 0+ and 0- spin-parity states is also observed, whereas contributions of 2- states and of a state with spin-parity 2+ and zero helicity are found to be negligible.

The production of B ∗ mesons in Z decays has been measured at LEP with the L3 detector. A sample of Z → b b events was obtained by tagging muons in 1.6 million hadronic Z decays collected in 1991, 1992 and 1993. A signal with a peak value of E γ = 46.3 ± 1.9 (stat) MeV in the B rest frame energy spectrum was interpreted to come from the decay B ∗ → γB. The inclusive production ratio of B ∗ mesons relative to B mesons was determined from a fit to the spectrum to be N B ∗ (N B ∗ + N B ) = 0.76 ± 0.08 ± 0.06 , where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.