An experiment designed to study the π−p total neutral cross section and its breakdown into several channels has been performed at eleven incident pion momenta ranging from 654 to 1247 MeV/c. Angular distributions for the charge exchange π0 and for η0 production are given in terms of Legendre-polynomial expansion coefficients. Forward and backward differential cross sections are presented for the charge-exchange channel and comparisons with recent dispersion-relation predictions for the forward cross section are made.

Multihadronic e+e− annihilation events at a center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV have been studied with both the original (PEP 5) Mark II and the upgraded Mark II detectors. Detector-corrected distributions from global shape analyses such as aplanarity, Q2-Q1, sphericity, thrust, minor value, oblateness, and jet masses, and inclusive charged-particle distributions including x, rapidity, p⊥, and particle flow are presented. These distributions are compared with predictions from various multihadron event models which use leading-logarithmic shower evolution or QCD matrix elements at the parton level and string or cluster fragmentation for hadronization. The new generation of parton-shower models gives, on the average, a better description of the data than the previous parton-shower models. The energy behavior of these models is compared to existing e+e− data. The predictions of the models at a center-of-mass energy of 93 GeV, roughly the expected mass of the Z0, are also presented.

We have measured the differential production cross sections as a function of scaled momentum x_p=2p/E_cm of the identified hadron species pi+, K+, K0, K*0, phi, p, Lambda0, and of the corresponding antihadron species in inclusive hadronic Z0 decays, as well as separately for Z0 decays into light (u, d, s), c and b flavors. Clear flavor dependences are observed, consistent with expectations based upon previously measured production and decay properties of heavy hadrons. These results were used to test the QCD predictions of Gribov and Lipatov, the predictions of QCD in the Modified Leading Logarithm Approximation with the ansatz of Local Parton-Hadron Duality, and the predictions of three fragmentation models. Ratios of production of different hadron species were also measured as a function of x_p and were used to study the suppression of strange meson, strange and non-strange baryon, and vector meson production in the jet fragmentation process. The light-flavor results provide improved tests of the above predictions, as they remove the contribution of heavy hadron production and decay from that of the rest of the fragmentation process. In addition we have compared hadron and antihadron production as a function of x_p in light quark (as opposed to antiquark) jets. Differences are observed at high x_p, providing direct evidence that higher-momentum hadrons are more likely to contain a primary quark or antiquark. The differences for pseudoscalar and vector kaons provide new measurements of strangeness suppression for high-x_p fragmentation products.

Differential cross sections have been measured for π+p and π−p elastic scattering at 378, 408, 427, 471, 509, 547, 586, 625, 657, and 687 MeV/c in the angular range -0.8<cosθc.m.<0.8. The scattered pion and recoil proton were detected in coincidence using scintillation-counter hodoscopes. A liquid-hydrogen target was used except for measurements at forward angles, in which a CH2 target was used. Statistical uncertainties in the data are typically less than 1%. Systematic uncertainties in acceptance and detection efficiency are estimated to be 1%. Absolute normalization uncertainties are 2–3 % for most of the data. The measurements are compared with previous data and with the results of recent partial-wave analyses. The data are fit with Legendre expansions from which total elastic cross sections are obtained.

The DIS diffractive cross section, $d\sigma^{diff}_{\gamma^* p \to XN}/dM_X$, has been measured in the mass range $M_X < 15$ GeV for $\gamma^*p$ c.m. energies $60 < W < 200$ GeV and photon virtualities $Q^2 = 7$ to 140 GeV$^2$. For fixed $Q^2$ and $M_X$, the diffractive cross section rises rapidly with $W$, $d\sigma^{diff}_{\gamma^*p \to XN}(M_X,W,Q^2)/dM_X \propto W^{a^{diff}}$ with $a^{diff} = 0.507 \pm 0.034 (stat)^{+0.155}_{-0.046}(syst)$ corresponding to a $t$-averaged pomeron trajectory of $\bar{\alphapom} = 1.127 \pm 0.009 (stat)^{+0.039}_{-0.012} (syst)$ which is larger than $\bar{\alphapom}$ observed in hadron-hadron scattering. The $W$ dependence of the diffractive cross section is found to be the same as that of the total cross section for scattering of virtual photons on protons. The data are consistent with the assumption that the diffractive structure function $F^{D(3)}_2$ factorizes according to $\xpom F^{D(3)}_2 (\xpom,\beta,Q^2) = (x_0/ \xpom)^n F^{D(2)}_2(\beta,Q^2)$. They are also consistent with QCD based models which incorporate factorization breaking. The rise of $\xpom F^{D(3)}_2$ with decreasing $\xpom$ and the weak dependence of $F^{D(2)}_2$ on $Q^2$ suggest a substantial contribution from partonic interactions.

Exclusive production of $\rho^0$ and $J/\psi$ mesons in e^+ p collisions has been studied with the ZEUS detector in the kinematic range $0.25 < Q^2 < 50 GeV^2, 20 < W < 167 GeV$ for the $\rho^0$ data and $2 < Q^2 < 40 GeV^2, 50 < W < 150 GeV$ for the $J/\psi$ data. Cross sections for exclusive $\rho^0$ and $J/\psi$ production have been measured as a function of $Q^2, W$ and $t$. The spin-density matrix elements $r^{04}_{00}, r^1_{1-1}$ and $Re r^{5}_{10}$ have been determined for exclusive $\rho^0$ production as well as $r^{04}_{00}$ and $r^{04}_{1-1}$ for exclusive $J/\psi$ production. The results are discussed in the context of theoretical models invoking soft and hard phenomena.

Event shape and charged particle inclusive distributions are measured using 750000 decays of the Z to hadrons from the DELPHI detector at LEP. These precise data allow a decisive confrontation with models of the hadronization process. Improved tunings of the JETSET, ARIADNE and HERWIG parton shower models and the JETSET matrix element model are obtained by fitting the models to these DELPHI data as well as to identified particle distributions from all LEP experiments. The description of the data distributions by the models is critically reviewed with special importance attributed to identified particles.

Inclusive charged particle and event shape distributions are measured using 321 hadronic events collected with the DELPHI experiment at LEP at effective centre of mass energies of 130 to 136 GeV. These distributions are presented and compared to data at lower energies, in particular to the precise Z data. Fragmentation models describe the observed changes of the distributions well. The energy dependence of the means of the event shape variables can also be described using second order QCD plus power terms. A method independent of fragmentation model corrections is used to determine αs from the energy dependence of the mean thrust and heavy jet mass. It is measured to be: $$←pha _s(133 {⤪ GeV})={0.116}pm {0.007}_{exp-0.004theo}^{+0.005}$$ from the high energy data.

An updated analysis using about 1.5 million events recorded at $\sqrt{s} = M_Z$ with the DELPHI detector in 1994 is presented. Eighteen infrared and collinear safe event shape observables are measured as a function of the polar angle of the thrust axis. The data are compared to theoretical calculations in ${\cal O} (\alpha_s^2)$ including the event orientation. A combined fit of $\alpha_s$ and of the renormalization scale $x_{\mu}$ in $\cal O(\alpha_s^2$) yields an excellent description of the high statistics data. The weighted average from 18 observables including quark mass effects and correlations is $\alpha_s(M_Z^2) = 0.1174 \pm 0.0026$. The final result, derived from the jet cone energy fraction, the observable with the smallest theoretical and experimental uncertainty, is $\alpha_s(M_Z^2) = 0.1180 \pm 0.0006 (exp.) \pm 0.0013 (hadr.) \pm 0.0008 (scale) \pm 0.0007 (mass)$. Further studies include an $\alpha_s$ determination using theoretical predictions in the next-to-leading log approximation (NLLA), matched NLLA and $\cal O(\alpha_s^2$) predictions as well as theoretically motivated optimized scale setting methods. The influence of higher order contributions was also investigated by using the method of Pad\'{e} approximants. Average $\alpha_s$ values derived from the different approaches are in good agreement.

Infrared and collinear safe event shape distributions and their mean values are determined in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 45 and 202 GeV. A phenomenological analysis based on power correction models including hadron mass effects for both differential distributions and mean values is presented. Using power corrections, alpha_s is extracted from the mean values and shapes. In an alternative approach, renormalisation group invariance (RGI) is used as an explicit constraint, leading to a consistent description of mean values without the need for sizeable power corrections. The QCD beta-function is precisely measured using this approach. From the DELPHI data on Thrust, including data from low energy experiments, one finds beta_0 = 7.86 +/- 0.32 for the one loop coefficient of the beta-function or, assuming QCD, n_f = 4.75 +/- 0.44 for the number of active flavours. These values agree well with the QCD expectation of beta_0=7.67 and n_f=5. A direct measurement of the full logarithmic energy slope excludes light gluinos with a mass below 5 GeV.