Tests of the standard model and constraints on new physics from measurements of fermion pair production at 189-GeV at LEP

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 13 (2000) 553-572, 2000.
Inspire Record 504989 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49123

Cross-sections and angular distributions for hadronic and lepton pair final states in e+e- collisions at a centre-of-mass energy near 189 GeV, measured with the OPAL detector at LEP, are presented and compared with the predictions of the Standard Model. The results are used to measure the energy dependence of the electromagnetic coupling constant alpha_em, and to place limits on new physics as described by four-fermion contact interactions or by the exchange of a new heavy particle such as a sneutrino in supersymmetric theories with R-parity violation. A search for the indirect effects of the gravitational interaction in extra dimensions on the mu+mu- and tau+tau- final states is also presented.

9 data tables

Hadronic cross section.

The cross sections for hadronic, and muon- and tau-pair production in the two sprime/s regions.

The cross sections for electron -pair production with various angular cuts.

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Total hadronic cross-section of photon photon interactions at LEP.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 14 (2000) 199-212, 2000.
Inspire Record 502548 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49107

The total hadronic cross-section sigma_gg(W) for the interaction of real photons, gg->hadrons, is measured for gg centre-of-mass energies 10<W<110 GeV. The cross-section is extracted from a measurement of the process e+e- -> e+e-g*g* -> e+e- hardrons, using a luminosity function for the photon flux together with form factors for extrapolating to real photons (Q^2=0 GeV^2). The data were taken with the OPAL detector at LEP at e+e- centre-of-mass energies 161, 172 and 183 GeV. The cross-section sigma_gg(W) is compared with Regge factorisation and with the energy dependence observed in gp and pp interactions. The data are also compared to models which predict a faster rise of sigma_gg(W) compared to gp and pp interactions due to additional hard gg interactions not present in hadronic collisions.

2 data tables

No description provided.

No description provided.


A study of spin alignment of rho(770)+- and omega(782) mesons in hadronic Z0 decays.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 16 (2000) 61-70, 2000.
Inspire Record 502750 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49099

The helicity density matrix elements rho[00] of rho(770)+- and omega(782) mesons produced in Z decays have been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. Over the measured meson energy range, the values are compatible with 1/3, corresponding to a statistical mix of helicity -1, 0 and +1 states. For the highest accessible scaled energy range 0.3 < x_E < 0.6, the measured rho[00] values of the rho(770)+- and the omega are 0.373 +- 0.052 and 0.142 +- 0.114, respectively. These results are compared to measurements of other vector mesons.

2 data tables

The errors are statistical and systematic unceratinties added in quadrature. The statistical errors (STAT=...) are also given.

The errors are statistical and systematic unceratinties added in quadrature. The statistical errors (STAT=...) are also given.


Test of the flavour independence of alpha(s) using next-to-leading order calculations for heavy quarks.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 11 (1999) 643-659, 1999.
Inspire Record 498246 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49192

We present a test of the flavour independence of the strong coupling constant for charm and bottom quarks with respect to light (uds) quarks, based on a hadronic event sample obtained with the OPAL detector at LEP. Five observables related to global event shapes were used to measure alpha_s in three flavour tagged samples (uds, c and b). The event shape distributions were fitted by Order(alpha_s**2) calculations of jet production taking into account mass effects for the c and b quarks. We find: = 0.997 +- 0.038(stat.) +- 0.030(syst.) +- 0.012(theory) and = 0.993 +- 0.008(stat.) +- 0.006(syst.) +- 0.011(theory) for the ratios alpha_s(charm)/alpha_s(uds) and alpha_s(b)/alpha_s(uds) respectively.

1 data table

No description provided.


Experimental properties of gluon and quark jets from a point source.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 11 (1999) 217-238, 1999.
Inspire Record 496755 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49193

Gluon jets are identified in hadronic Z0 decays as all the particles in a hemisphere opposite to a hemisphere containing two tagged quark jets. Gluon jets defined in this manner are equivalent to gluon jets produced from a color singlet point source and thus correspond to the definition employed for most theoretical calculations. In a separate stage of the analysis, we select quark jets in a manner to correspond to calculations, as the particles in hemispheres of flavor tagged light quark (uds) events. We present the distributions of rapidity, scaled energy, the logarithm of the momentum, and transverse momentum with respect to the jet axes, for charged particles in these gluon and quark jets. We also examine the charged particle multiplicity distributions of the jets in restricted intervals of rapidity. For soft particles at large transverse momentum, we observe the charged particle multiplicity ratio of gluon to quark jets to be 2.29 +- 0.09 +- 0.15 in agreement with the prediction that this ratio should approximately equal the ratio of QCD color factors, CA/CF = 2.25. The intervals used to define soft particles and large transverse momentum for this result, p<4 GeV/c and 0.8<p_t<3.0 GeV/c, are motivated by the predictions of the Herwig Monte Carlo multihadronic event generator. Additionally, our gluon jet data allow a sensitive test of the phenomenon of non-leading QCD terms known as color reconnection. We test the model of color reconnection implemented in the Ariadne Monte Carlo multihadronic event generator and find it to be disfavored by our data.

9 data tables

(C=GLUON) and (C=QUARK) stand for jets originated from gluon and any light quark (Q=u, d, s), correspondingly. The ratio of gluon to quark jets are evaluated for 40.1 GeV jet energy.

(C=GLUON) and (C=QUARK) stand for jets originated from gluon and any light quark (Q=u, d, s), correspondingly. The ratio of gluon to quark jets are evaluated for 40.1 GeV jet energy.

(C=GLUON) and (C=QUARK) stand for jets originated from gluon and any light quark (Q=u, d, s), correspondingly. The ratio of gluon to quark jets are evaluated for 40.1 GeV jet energy.

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Measurements of the QED structure of the photon.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 11 (1999) 409-425, 1999.
Inspire Record 495378 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49315

The structure of both quasi-real and highly virtual photons is investigated using the reaction e+e- -> e+e-mu+mu-, proceeding via the exchange of two photons. The results are based on the complete OPAL dataset taken at e+e- centre-of-mass energies close to the mass of the Z boson. The QED structure function F_2^gamma and the differential cross-section dsigdx for quasi-real photons are obtained as functions of the fractional momentum x from the muon momentum which is carried by the struck muon in the quasi-real photon for values of Q**2 ranging from 1.5 to 400 GeV**2. The differential cross-section dsigdx for highly virtual photons is measured for 1.5< Q**2 < 30 GeV**2 and 1.5< P**2 < 20 GeV**2, where Q**2 and P**2 are the negative values of the four-momentum squared of the two photons such that Q**2 > P**2. Based on azimuthal correlations the QED structure functions F_A^gamma and F_B^gamma for quasi-real photons are determined for an average Q**2 of 5.4 GeV**2.

12 data tables

No description provided.

No description provided.

No description provided.

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Color reconnection studies in e+ e- --> W+ W- at s**(1/2) = 183-GeV.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Phys.Lett.B 453 (1999) 153-168, 1999.
Inspire Record 482314 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.47315

The predicted effects of final state interactions such as colour reconnection are investigated by measuring properties of hadronic decays of W bosons, recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of sqrt(s)=182.7 GeV in the OPAL detector at LEP. Dependence on the modelling of hadronic W decays is avoided by comparing W+W- -> qqqq events with the non-leptonic component of W+W- -> qqlnu events. The scaled momentum distribution, its mean value, x_p, and that of the charged particle multiplicity, n_ch, are measured and found to be consistent in the two channels. The measured differences are: Diff(x_p) = +0.7 +- 0.8 +- 0.6 and Diff(n_ch) = (-0.09 +- 0.09 +-0.05)*10**-2. In addition, measurements of rapidity and thrust are performed for W+W- -> qqqq events. The data are described well by standard QCD models and disfavour one model of colour reconnection within the ARIADNE program. The current implementation of the ELLIS-GEIGER model of colour reconnection is excluded. At the current level of statistical precision no evidence for colour reconnection effects was found in the observables studied. The predicted effect of colour reconnection on OPAL measurements of M_W is also quantified in the context of models studied.

1 data table

Here Z is defined as Z = 2*P(C=HADRON)/SQRT(S).


W+ W- production and triple gauge boson couplings at LEP energies up to 183-GeV

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 8 (1999) 191-215, 1999.
Inspire Record 479051 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49338

A study of W-pair production in e+e- annihilations at Lep2 is presented, based on 877 W+W- candidates corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 57 pb-1 at sqrt(s) = 183 GeV. Assuming that the angular distributions of the W-pair production and decay, as well as their branching fractions, are described by the Standard Model, the W-pair production cross-section is measured to be 15.43 +- 0.61 (stat.) +- 0.26 (syst.) pb. Assuming lepton universality and combining with our results from lower centre-of-mass energies, the W branching fraction to hadrons is determined to be 67.9 +- 1.2 (stat.) +- 0.5 (syst.)%. The number of W-pair candidates and the angular distributions for each final state (qqlnu,qqqq,lnulnu) are used to determine the triple gauge boson couplings. After combining these values with our results from lower centre-of-mass energies we obtain D(kappa_g)=0.11+0.52-0.37, D(g^z_1)=0.01+0.13-0.12 and lambda=-0.10+0.13-0.12, where the errors include both statistical and systematic uncertainties and each coupling is determined setting the other two couplings to the Standard Model value. The fraction of W bosons produced with a longitudinal polarisation is measured to be 0.242+-0.091(stat.)+-0.023(syst.). All these measurements are consistent with the Standard Model expectations.

2 data tables

Total W+ W- cross section measurement. The DSYS error corresponds to the total systematic error.

Cross section for W+ W- production in different decay channels. The DSYS error corresponds to the total systematic error.


Search for anomalous photonic events with missing energy in e+ e- collisions at s**(1/2) = 130-GeV, 136-GeV and 183-GeV.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 8 (1999) 23-40, 1999.
Inspire Record 477626 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49342

Photonic events with large missing energy have been observed in $e^+ e^-$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130, 136 and 183 GeV collected in 1997 using the OPAL detector at LEP. Results are presented for event topologies with a single photon and missing transverse energy or with an acoplanar photon pair. Cross-section measurements are performed within the kinematic acceptance of each selection. These results are compared with the expectations from the Standard Model process $e^+e^-$ $\rightarrow \nu \bar{\nu +}$ photon(s). No evidence is observed for new physics contributions to these final states. Using the data at $\sqrt{s} = 183$ GeV, upper limits on $\sigma$ ($e^+ e^-$ $\rightarrow$ X.Y)*BR(X $\to \textrm{Y}_{\gamma}$) and $\sigma$ ($e^+ e^-$ $\rightarrow$ X.X)*BR$^2$ (X $\to \textrm{Y}_{\gamma}$) are derived for the case of stable and invisible Y. These limits apply to single and pair production of excited neutrinos $(\textrm{X} = \nu^*, \textrm{Y} = \nu)$, to neutralino production $(\textrm{X} = \overline{\chi}^0_2, \textrm{Y} = \overline{\chi}^0_1)$ and to supersymmetric models in which $X = \overline{\chi}^0_1$ and $Y=\overline{\textrm{G}}$ is a light gravitino.

3 data tables

No description provided.

No description provided.

The data for sqrt(s) = 130 and 136 GeV are combination of present data and previous one (see EPJ C2, 607), the data for sqrt(s)=161 and 172 GeV is from thesame publication.


A measurement of R(b) using a double tagging method.

The OPAL collaboration Abbiendi, G. ; Ackerstaff, K. ; Alexander, G. ; et al.
Eur.Phys.J.C 8 (1999) 217-239, 1999.
Inspire Record 476786 DOI 10.17182/hepdata.49348

The fraction of Z to bbbar events in hadronic Z decays has been measured by the OPAL experiment using the data collected at LEP between 1992 and 1995. The Z to bbbar decays were tagged using displaced secondary vertices, and high momentum electrons and muons. Systematic uncertainties were reduced by measuring the b-tagging efficiency using a double tagging technique. Efficiency correlations between opposite hemispheres of an event are small, and are well understood through comparisons between real and simulated data samples. A value of Rb = 0.2178 +- 0.0011 +- 0.0013 was obtained, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The uncertainty on Rc, the fraction of Z to ccbar events in hadronic Z decays, is not included in the errors. The dependence on Rc is Delta(Rb)/Rb = -0.056*Delta(Rc)/Rc where Delta(Rc) is the deviation of Rc from the value 0.172 predicted by the Standard Model. The result for Rb agrees with the value of 0.2155 +- 0.0003 predicted by the Standard Model.

1 data table

Second systematic error depends on Rc=Delta(R_c)/R_c ratio, where Delta(R_c) is the deviation of R_c from the value 0.172 predicted by the Standard Model.