Measurements of the two-photon interaction e + e − → e + e − + hadrons at s ≃ 91 GeV and s ≃ 183 GeV are presented. The double-tag events, collected with the L3 detector, correspond to interated luminosities of 140 pb −1 at 91 GeV and 52 pb −1 at 183 GeV. The cross-section of γ ∗ γ ∗ collisions has been measured at 〈 Q 2 〉 = 3.5 GeV 2 and 〈 Q 2 〉 = 14 GeV 2 . The data agree well with predictions based on perturbative QCD, while the Quark Parton Model alone is insufficient to describe the data.

A study of neutral-current four-fermion processes is performed using a data sample corresponding to 55.3 pb −1 of integrated luminosity collected by the L3 detector at LEP at an average centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The neutral-current four-fermion cross sections for final states with a pair of charged leptons plus jets and with four charged leptons are measured to be consistent with the Standard Model predictions. Events with fermion pair masses close to the Z boson mass are selected in all observable final states and the ZZ production cross section is measured to be σ ZZ =0.30 +0.22 +0.07 −0.16 −0.03 pb, in agreement with the Standard Model expectation. No evidence for the existence of anomalous triple gauge boson ZZZ and ZZ γ couplings is found and limits on these couplings are set.

The cross section of charm production in γγ collisions σ(e + e − →e + e − c c ̄ X) is measured at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies from 91 GeV to 183 GeV. Charmed hadrons are identified by electrons and muons from semileptonic decays. The direct process γγ→c c ̄ is found to be insufficient to describe the data. The measured cross section values and event distributions require contributions from resolved processes, which are sensitive to the gluon density in the photon.

New measurements at a centre-of-mass energy s ≃183 GeV of the hadronic photon structure function F γ 2 ( x ) in the Q 2 interval, 9 GeV 2 ≤ Q 2 ≤30 GeV 2 , are presented. The data, collected in 1997 with the L3 detector, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 51.9 pb −1 . Combining with the data taken at a centre-of-mass energy of 91 GeV, the evolution of F γ 2 with Q 2 is measured in the Q 2 range from 1.2 GeV 2 to 30 GeV 2 . F γ 2 shows a linear growth with ln Q 2 ; the value of the slope α −1 d F γ 2 ( Q 2 )/dln Q 2 is measured in two x bins from 0.01 to 0.2 and is somewhat higher than predicted.

We present results obtained from a study of the structure of hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 55.3 pb −1 . The distributions of event shape variables and the energy dependence of their mean values are measured. From a comparison with resummed O ( α s 2 ) QCD calculations, we determine the strong coupling constant α s (183 GeV )=0.1086 ± 0.0026 (exp) ± 0.0054 (th) . The charged particle multiplicity distribution and momentum spectrum are studied and the energy dependence of the peak position of the ξ (=−ln x p ) distribution is compared with lower energy measurements and QCD expectations.

We report on the measurement of W-boson pair-production with the L3 detector at LEP. In a data sample corresponding to a total luminosity of 55.47 pb −1 collected at an average centre-of-mass energy of 182.68 GeV , we select 824 four-fermion events with pairs of hadronic jets or pairs of leptons with high invariant masses. Branching fractions of W decays into different fermion-antifermion pairs are determined. Assuming charged-current lepton universality, the branching fraction for hadronic W decays is measured to be: B( W→hadrons )=70.1±1.3 (stat.)±0.4 (syst.) % . Combining all final states the total cross section for W-pair production is measured to be: σ WW =16.53±0.67 (stat.)±0.26 (syst.) pb.

We report on a study of radiative Bhabha and quasi-real Compton scattering at centre-of-mass energies between 50 GeV and 170 GeV, and 20 GeV and 140 GeV, respectively, using the L3 detector at LEP. The analysis is based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 232.2 pb −1 . A total of 2856 radiative Bhabha and 4641 Compton scattering events are collected. Total and differential cross sections for both reactions are presented and found to be in good agreement with QED expectations. Our measurement of Compton scattering at the highest energies obtained so far is used to derive exclusion limits on the coupling λ for the on-shell production of an excited electron e ★ decaying into a γ e pair in the mass range 20 GeV

We report on a study of single W boson production in a data sample collected by the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies from 130 to 183 GeV. The signal consists of large missing energy final states with a single energetic lepton or two hadronic jets. The measured cross sections at five different centre-of-mass energies are consistent with the Standard Model expectations. The following limits on the anomalous WW γ gauge couplings are derived at 95% CL: −0.46< Δκ γ <0.57 and −0.86< λ γ <0.75.

The hadronic photon structure function F γ 2 is studied in the reaction e + e − →e + e − hadrons at LEP with the L3 detector. The data, collected from 1991 to 1995 at a centre-of-mass energy s ≃91 GeV, correspond to an integrated luminosity of 140 pb −1 . The photon structure function F γ 2 is measured in the Q 2 interval 1.2 GeV 2 ≤ Q 2 ≤9.0 GeV 2 and the x interval 0.002< x <0.2. F γ 2 shows a linear growth with ln Q 2 . The value of the slope α −1 d F γ 2 ( Q 2 )/dln Q 2 is measured to be 0.079±0.011±0.009.

The reactions e + e − → e + e − e + e − and e + e − → e + e − μ + μ − , in a single tag configuration, are studied at LEP with the L3 detector. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 93.7 pb −1 at s =91 GeV. Differential cross sections are measured for 1.4 GeV 2 ≤Q 2 ≤7.6 GeV 2 . The leptonic photon structure function F γ 2 and azimuthal correlations are measured for e + e − → e + e − μ + μ − . The related structure functions F γ A and F γ B , which originate from interference terms of the scattering amplitudes, are determined for the first time.