Charged particle momentum distributions are studied in the reaction e+e- -> hadrons, using data collected with the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies from 192 GeV to 209 GeV. The data correspond to an average centre-of- mass energy of 201.7 GeV and a total integrated luminosity of 433 pb-1. The measured distributions and derived quantities, in combination with corresponding results obtained at lower centre-of-mass energies, are compared to QCD predictions in various theoretical approaches to study the energy dependence of the strong interaction and to test QCD as the theory describing it. In general, a good agreement is found between the measurements and the corresponding QCD predictions.
Results are presented on the charge exchange reaction\(\bar pp \to \bar nn\) and\(\bar np\) annihilations from bubble chamber exposures to antiproton beam of momenta 700 and 760 MeV/c. The differential cross section of\(\bar pp \to \bar nn\) shows a forward spike followed by a clear dip bump structure. Total annihilation cross section of\(\bar np\) for average\(\bar n\) momentum of 700 MeV/c has been evaluated to be 55.4±2.2 mb. The multiplicity, Feynmanx andpT2 distributions for inclusive charged pions in\(\bar pp\) and\(\bar np\) annihilations are found to be similar. The emission of charged pions from\(\bar np\) annihilations are found to be consistent with thermodynamic models with temperature ∼110 MeV.
Fragmentation functions for charged particles in Z -> qq(bar) events have been measured for bottom (b), charm (c) and light (uds) quarks as well as for all flavours together. The results are based on data recorded between 1990 and 1995 using the OPAL detector at LEP. Event samples with different flavour compositions were formed using reconstructed D* mesons and secondary vertices. The \xi_p = ln(1/x_E) distributions and the position of their maxima \xi_max are also presented separately for uds, c and b quark events. The fragmentation function for b quarks is significantly softer than for uds quarks.
The fragmentation function for the process e+e−→h+X, whereh represents a hadron, may be decomposed into transverse, longitudinal and asymmetric contributions by analysis of the distribution of polar production angles. A number of new tests of QCD have been proposed using these fragmentation functions, but so far no data have been published on the separate components. We have performed such a separation using data on charged particles from hadronic Z0 decays atOpal, and have compared the results with the predictions of QCD. By integrating the fragmentation functions, we determine the average charged particle multiplicity to be\(\overline {n_{ch} }= 21.05 \pm 0.20\). The longitudinal to total cross-section ratio is determined to be σL/σtot=0.057±0.005. From the longitudinal fragmentation function we are able to extract the gluon fragmentation function. The connection between the asymmetry fragmentation function and electroweak asymmetrics is discussed.
The photonic part of multihadronice+e− annihilation events has been analyzed at a c.m. energy of 34 GeV. The photonic energy fraction per event is determined to befγ=0.251±0.003 (stat.) ±0.04 (syste.). The neutral and charged components of the events are analyzed separately revealing close similarity in thrust axis directions and momentum distributions in agreement with the hypothesis that most photons result from π0 decay. π0's are reconstructed separately and used to determine the inclusive cross section. Comparing these cross sections with lower energy data from SPEAR we find some indication for scaling violation.
A study of b quark hadronisation is presented using inclusively reconstructed B hadrons in about four million hadronic Z decays recorded in 1992-2000 with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data are compared to different theoretical models, and fragmentation function parameters of these models are fitted. The average scaled energy of weakly decaying B hadrons is determined to be <xe>=0.7193+-0.0016(stat)+0.0036-0.0031(syst)
The hadronic fragmentation functions of the various quark flavours and of gluons are measured in a study of the inclusive hadron production from Z 0 decays with the DELPHI detector and are compared with the fragmentation functions measured elsewhere at energies between 14 GeV and 91 GeV. A large scaling violation is observed, which is used to extract the strong coupling constant from a fit using a numerical integration of the second order DGLAP evolution equations. The result is α s ( M Z ) = 0.124 −0.007 +0.006 (exp) ± 0.009(theory) where the first error represents the experimental uncertainty and the second error is due to the factorization and renormalization scale dependence.
We have measured inclusive distributions for charged particles in hadronic decays of the Z boson. The variables chosen for study were charged-particle multiplicity, scaled momentum, and momenta transverse to the sphericity axes. The distributions have been corrected for detector effects and are compared with data from e+e− annihilation at lower energies and with the predictions of several QCD-based models. The data are in reasonable agreement with expectations.
A determination of the hadronic fragmentation functions of the Z 0 boson is presented from a study of the inclusive hadron production with the DELPHI detector at LEP. These fragmentation functions were compared with the ones at lower energies, thus covering data in a large kinematic range: 196 ⩽ Q 2 ⩽ 8312 GeV 2 and x (= P h E beam ) > 0.08 . A large scaling violation was observed, which was used to extract the strong coupling constant in second order QCD: α s ( M Z ) = 0.118 ± 0.005. The corresponding QCD scale for five quark flavours is: Λ (5) MS = 230 ± 60 MeV .
This paper presents a measurement of the $W$ boson production cross section and the $W^{+}/W^{-}$ cross-section ratio, both in association with jets, in proton--proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV with the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. The measurement is performed in final states containing one electron and missing transverse momentum using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20.2 fb$^{-1}$. Differential cross sections for events with one or two jets are presented for a range of observables, including jet transverse momenta and rapidities, the scalar sum of transverse momenta of the visible particles and the missing transverse momentum in the event, and the transverse momentum of the $W$ boson. For a subset of the observables, the differential cross sections of positively and negatively charged $W$ bosons are measured separately. In the cross-section ratio of $W^{+}/W^{-}$ the dominant systematic uncertainties cancel out, improving the measurement precision by up to a factor of nine. The observables and ratios selected for this paper provide valuable input for the up quark, down quark, and gluon parton distribution functions of the proton.
Cross section for the production of W bosons for different inclusive jet multiplicities.
Statistical correlation between bins in data for the cross section for the production of W bosons for different inclusive jet multiplicities.
Differential cross sections for the production of W<sup>+</sup> bosons, W<sup>-</sup> bosons and the W<sup>+</sup>/W<sup>-</sup> cross section ratio as a function of the inclusive jet multiplicity.
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