We report observation of the S* meson in the reaction π−+p→S*+n. The S* decays into ππ and KK and is seen most clearly in the 2π0 channel. A fit to the data gives a sheet-II pole at 987±7−i(24±7) MeV and a relative coupling gS→KKgS→ππ of 3.8 ± 1.0.

A novel form of mass spectrometer has been used to measure the masses, widths, and cross sections of the η, ω, X0(958), and φ mesons near their respective thresholds in the reaction π−+p→missingmass+n. The incident momentum is varied in small steps through the threshold while neutrons of a given momentum are detected near zero degrees. The lower limit of the c.m. momentum P* at which measurements have been made ranges from about 50 MeV/c at the φ to about 30 MeV/c at the η. A somewhat low value for the ω mass, 782.3 ± 0.6 MeV, is found. The width of the X0 is < 1.9 MeV (95% confidence level). All four mesons show evidence of S-wave production, with values of σP* of 21.2 ± 1.8, 0.35 ± 0.03, and 0.29 ± 0.06 μb/(MeV/c) for the η, X0, and φ, respectively. A rapid rise in the ω cross section appears to be modified by a final-state interaction. The effect of this rise can probably be seen in some S11 pion-nucleon phase-shift solutions. Evidence is also presented of a sudden drop in the π+π− mass spectrum just above the threshold for the production of a K+K− pair. The paper includes a comprehensive discussion of the method and of the details of the spectrometer.

We have measured the inclusive prompt electron cross section over a wide momentum range (P>0.5 GeV/c) with the PEP-4 TPC detector. The semielectronic branching fractions of thec andb quarks are (9.1±0.9 (stat.)±1.3 (syst.))% and (11.0±1.8±1.0)%, respectively. Theb quark fragmentation function peaks at highz with 〈zb〉=0.74±0.05±0.03. The axial couplings to the neutral current areac=2.3±1.4±1.0 for thec quark andab=−2.0±1.9±0.5 for theb quark.

We report on the first search with virtual photon-photon collisions for narrow, neutral resonances with even C parity in the mass range 4.5<W<19 GeV. The data were obtained via the process e+e−→e+e−γ*γ*→e e−+R with both the scattered e+ and e− detected. We find upper limits (95% confidence level) for the partial decay width of a resonance into two photons, ranging from 50 keV at W=4.5 GeV to 10 MeV at W=19 GeV. These limits constrain theoretical models involving neutral composite bosons.

We report measurements of the two-photon processes e+e−→e+e−π+π− and e+e−→e+e−K+K−, at an e+e− center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV. In the π+π− data a high-statistics analysis of the f(1270) results in a γγ width Γ(γγ→f)=3.2±0.4 keV. The π+π− continuum below the f mass is well described by a QED Born approximation, whereas above the f mass it is consistent with a QCD-model calculation if a large contribution from the f is assumed. For the K+K− data we find agreement of the high-mass continuum with the QCD prediction; limits on f′(1520) and θ(1720) formation are presented.

We measure an inclusive branching fraction of (13.9 ± 2.0−2.2+1.9)% for the decay τ−→ντπ−π0+nh0(n>~1), where h0 is a π0 or an η. The data sample, obtained with the time-projection-chamber detector facility at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 72 pb−1 at 29 GeV center-of-mass energy. The measured branching fraction is somewhat greater than the theoretical prediction and, with errors taken into account, could resolve the present difference between the inclusive and the sum of the exclusive τ± branching fractions into one charged prong.

We present a measurement of the photon structure functionF2γ in the reactionee→eeX forQ2 in the range 0.2<Q2<7 GeV2, using 9,200 multihadron events obtained with the TPC/Two-Gamma detector at PEP. The data have been corrected for detector effects using a regularized unfolding procedure and are presented as a function ofx andQ2. The structure function shows scaling in the region 0.3<Q2<1.6 GeV2,x<0.3 and rises for higherQ2. AtQ2=5.1 GeV2 the results are compared with QCD and, within the scheme of Antoniadis and Grunberg, rather conservative bounds for the QCD scale parameter of 133±50<\(\Lambda _{\overline {{\rm M}S} } \)<268±98 MeV are obtained. A study of the final state structure shows that the rise ofF2γ is consistent with being entirely due to the pointlike component of the photon.

The structure function F2γ for a quasireal photon has been measured in the reaction ee→eeX for Q2 in the range 0.2<Q2<7 GeV2, by use of 9200 multihadron events obtained with the TPC/Two-Gamma detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP. The data have been corrected for detector effects by a regularized unfolding procedure and are presented as F2γ(x,Q2). The structure function shows scaling in the region 0.3<Q2<1.6 GeV2, x<0.3, and rises for higher Q2 and x>0.1. Below Q2=0.3 GeV2, scaling breaks down in accordance with the finite cross-section bound for real photons.

From 2540 Z 0 → τ + τ − events, we determine the inclusive decay branching fractions of the τ -lepton into one and three charged particles to be 0.856 ± 0.006 (stat.) ± 0.003 (syst.) and 0.144 ± 0.006 (stat.) ± 0.003 (syst.), respectively. The leptonic branching fractions are measured to be 0.175 ± 0.008 (stat.) ± 0.005 (syst.) for τ → μν μ ντ and 0.177 ± 0.007 (stat.) ± 0.006 (syst.) for τ → eν e ν τ . We determined the τ lifetime both from three-prong decays using the decay length and from one-prong decays using the impact parameter. The results from the two independent methods agree and yield a combined value of [0.309 ± 0.023 (stat.) ± 0.030 (syst.)] × 10 −12 s.

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.