Results are presented on the exclusive production of four-prong final states in photon-photon collisions from the TPC/Two-Gamma detector at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP. Measurement of dE/dx and momentum in the time-projection chamber (TPC) provides identification of the final states 2π+2π−, K+K−π+π−, and 2K+2K−. For two quasireal incident photons, both the 2π+2π− and K+K−π+π− cross sections show a steep rise from threshold to a peak value, followed by a decrease at higher mass. Cross sections for the production of the final states ρ0ρ0, ρ0π+π−, and φπ+π− are presented, together with upper limits for φρ0, φφ, and K*0K¯ *0. The ρ0ρ0 contribution dominates the four-pion cross section at low masses, but falls to nearly zero above 2 GeV. Such behavior is inconsistent with expectations from vector dominance but can be accommodated by four-quark resonance models or by t-channel factorization. Angular distributions for the part of the data dominated by ρ0ρ0 final states are consistent with the production of JP=2+ or 0+ resonances but also with isotropic (nonresonant) production. When one of the virtual photons has mass (mγ2=-Q2≠0), the four-pion cross section is still dominated by ρ0ρ0 at low final-state masses Wγγ and by 2π+2π− at higher mass. Further, the dependence of the cross section on Q2 becomes increasingly flat as Wγγ increases.

We report cross sections for the process γγ→pp¯ at center-of-mass energies W from 2.0 to 2.8 GeV. These results have been extracted from measurements of e+e−→e+e−pp¯ at an overall center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV, using the TPC/Two-Gamma facility at the SLAC storage ring PEP. Cross sections for the untagged mode [both photons nearly real] are shown to lie well above QCD predictions. Results are also presented for the single-tagged mode [one photon in the range 0.16<Q2<1.6 (GeV/c)2].

We compare the p T dependence of pion, kaon and proton production cross sections in the central rapidity region in e + e − annihilation events and in proton-proton collisions at ISR energies. We find similarities both in the p T dependence of cross sections and in the particle composition as a function of p T , in agreement with the hypothesis of a universal mechanism of particle production.

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.

We report measurements of two-particle correlations in rapidity space between a p¯ or Λ¯ and an additional p, p¯, Λ, or Λ¯. We find evidence for local conservation of baryon number, and for the first time observe a pronounced anticorrelation between baryons with the same value of baryon number. Such an anticorrelation is expected in fragmentation models where the rapidity order of particles closely reflects their ‘‘color order,’’ as is the case, for example, in recent versions of the Lund string model.

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.

We compare the particle flow in the event plane of three-jet qq¯g (quark-antiquark-gluon) events with the particle flow in radiative annihilation events qq¯γ (quark-antiquark-photon) for similar kinematic configurations. In the angular region between quark and antiquark jet, we find a significant decrease in particle density for qq¯g as compared to qq¯γ. This effect is predicted in QCD as a result of destructive interference between soft-gluon radiation from quark, antiquark, and hard gluon.

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 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.

The multiplicities per event of π ± and K ± are measured separately for e + e - annihilation into c c , b b , and light quark pairs at E cm=29 GeV. The K ± multiplicity is higher for heavy quark events than for light quark events. The π ± multiplicity and the π ± scaled differential cross section at low x = E beam/ E beam are found to be higher for b b events than for other events.

The two-photon production of the η meson has been observed, and a value has been determined for the two-photon η decay width by a measurement of the cross section σ(e+e−→e+e−η) where η→γγ. The measurement was made with the TPC/Two-Gamma facility at the SLAC e+e− collider PEP, with an accumulated data sample of 64.5 pb−1. The η→γγ events were both triggered and detected by the pole-tip calorimeter. The measured two-photon η decay width is Γη→γγ=0.64±0.14 (statistical) ±0.13 (systematic) keV, in agreement with earlier similarly determined values.

The production of charmed D* mesons in e+e− annihilations at a center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV has been studied using the time-projection-chamber (TPC) detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP. The production cross section, fragmentation function, and forward-backward asymmetry due to electroweak effects are measured, and a limit on D0-D¯0 mixing is determined.

We report a measurement of the reaction γγ→K+K−π+π− in both tagged and untagged events at PEP. The cross section rises with invariant γγ mass to about 15 nb at 2 GeV and falls slowly at higher masses. We find clear evidence for the processes γγ→φπ+π− and γγ→K*0(892)Kπ. Upper limits (95% C.L.) of 1.5 and 5.7 nb in the mass range from 1.7 to 3.7 GeV are obtained for φρ0 and K*0K¯*0 production, respectively.

We have studied the production of prompt muons in hadronic events from e+e− annihilation at a center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV with the PEP4-TPC (Time Projection Chamber) detector. The muon p and pt distributions are well described by a combination of bottom- and charm-quark decays, with fitted semimuonic branching fractions of (15.2±1.9±1.2)% and (6.9±1.1±1.1)%, respectively. The muon spectra imply hard fragmentation functions for both b and c quarks, with 〈z(b quark)〉=0.80±0.05±0.05 and 〈z(c quark)〉=0.60±0.06±0.04. We derive neutral-current axial-vector couplings of a(b quark)=-0.9±1.1±0.3 and a(c quark)=1.5±1.5±0.5 from the forward-backward asymmetries.

The distribution of particles in three-jet events is compared with the predictions of three fragmentation models currently in use: the Lund string model, the Webber cluster model, and an independent fragmentation model. The Lund model and, to a certain extent, the Webber model provide reasonable descriptions of the data. The independent fragmentation model does not describe the distribution of particles at large angles with respect to the jet axes. The results provide evidence that the sources of hadrons are Lorentz boosted with respect to the overall c.m.

Inclusive production cross sections for photons and π0's ine+e− annihilation at a center of mass energy of 29 GeV have been measured. The π0 production spectrum agrees with a corresponding measurement for π±. The ratio of the π0 inclusive rate to the average for π± is 0.92±0.14. The fractions of the total energy carried by photons and π0's are 0.244±0.016 and 0.217±0.033, respectively. The fraction of total energy carried by all stable hadrons, prompt leptons and photons is determined to be 0.938±0.045, leaving 0.062±0.045 for neutrinos.

Bose-Einstein correlations between like-sign pions have been investigated in e+e− annihilation at √s =29 GeV using the Time Projection Chamber detector at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP. The production rate of like-sign pion pairs with small relative momentum is found to be increased by more than 50% over the rate expected for uncorrelated production of pions. From the correlation length, a typical source radius of 0.65 fm is derived. Data are consistent with a spherical shape of the pion source. No dependence of radius or correlation strength on the event multiplicity is observed.

Correlations in rapidity space are presented for identified π± and K± in e+e− annihilation at 29-GeV c.m. energy. Short-range KK correlations indicate local flavor compensation in the hadronization process. Long-range KK and ππ correlations prove that the initial partons carry flavor. In addition, we observe significant Kπ correlations as a result of heavy-quark decays.