A study of QCD coherence is presented based on a sample of about 397000 $e^+e^-$ hadronic annihilation events collected at $\sqrt{s}=91$ GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP. The study is based on four recently proposed observables that are sensitive to coherence effects in the perturbative regime. The measurement of these observables is presented, along with a comparison with the predictions of different parton shower models. The models include both conventional parton shower models and dipole antenna models. Different ordering variables are used to investigate their influence on the predictions.
The normalized corrected data at the hadron level for the emission angle $\theta_{14}$.
The correlation matrix of the normalized corrected data at the hadron level for the emission angle $\theta_{14}$.
The normalized corrected data at the hadron level for the mass ratio $\rho=M_L^2/M_H^2$.
Inclusive jet production (e+e- -> e+e- +jet+X) is studied in collisions of quasi-real photons radiated by the LEP beams at e+e- centre-of-mass energies sqrt see from 189 to 209 GeV. Jets are reconstructed using the kp jet algorithm. The inclusive differential cross-section is measured as a function of the jet transverse momentum, ptjet, in the range 5 <ptjet < 40 GeV for pseudo-rapidities, etaj, in the range -1.5 < etaj < 1.5. The results are compared to predictions of perturbative QCD in next-to-leading order in the strong coupling constant.
Inclusive jet cross section for the absolute jet pseudorapidity < 1.0.
Inclusive jet cross section for the absolute jet pseudorapidity < 1.5.
The inclusive production of charged hadrons in the collisions of quasi-real photons e+e- -> e+e- +X has been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The data were taken at e+e- centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. The differential cross-sections as a function of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the hadrons are compared to theoretical calculations of up to next-to-leading order (NLO) in the strong coupling constant alpha{s}. The data are also compared to a measurement by the L3 Collaboration, in which a large deviation from the NLO predictions is observed.
Differential inclusive charged hadron production cross section as a function of PT.
Differential inclusive charged hadron production cross section as a function of PT.
Differential inclusive charged hadron production cross section as a function of PT.
Flavour inclusive, udsc and b fragmentation functions in unbiased jets, and flavour inclusive, udsc, b and gluon fragmentation functions in biased jets are measured in e+e- annihilations from data collected at centre-of-mass energies of 91.2, and 183-209 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP. The unbiased jets are defined by hemispheres of inclusive hadronic events, while the biased jet measurements are based on three-jet events selected with jet algorithms. Several methods are employed to extract the fragmentation functions over a wide range of scales. Possible biases are studied in the results are obtained. The fragmentation functions are compared to results from lower energy e+e- experiments and with earlier LEP measurements and are found to be consistent. Scaling violations are observed and are found to be stronger for the fragmentation functions of gluon jets than for those of quarks. The measured fragmentation functions are compared to three recent theoretical next-to-leading order calculations and to the predictions of three Monte Carlo event generators. While the Monte Carlo models are in good agreement with the data, the theoretical predictions fail to describe the full set of results, in particular the b and gluon jet measurements.
The udsc jet fragmentation function in bins of $x_{\rm E}$ and scale. The scale denotes $Q_{\rm jet}$ for the biased jets and is given by the intervals, while it denotes $\sqrt{s}/2$ for the unbiased jets and is given by the single values. These data are displayed in Fig.7.
The b jet fragmentation function in bins of $x_{\rm E}$ and scale. The scale denotes $Q_{\rm jet}$ for the biased jets and is given by the intervals, while it denotes $\sqrt{s}/2$ for the unbiased jets and is given by the single values. These data are displayed in Fig. 8. In the region 0.48 $<x_{\rm E}<$ 0.90 and $Q_{\rm jet}=$ 30-70 GeV, no measurement was possible due to low statistics.
The gluon jet fragmentation functions in bins of $x_{\rm E}$ and scale $Q_{\rm jet}$ obtained from the biased jets using the b-tag method (BT). These data are displayed in Fig. 9. In the region 0.48 $<x_{\rm E}<$ 0.90 and $Q_{\rm jet}=$ 30-42 GeV for the b-tag method, no measurement was possible due to low statistics.
For the first time at LEP the production of prompt photons is studied in the collisions of quasi-real photons using the OPAL data taken at e+e- centre-of-mass energies between 183 GeV and 209 GeV. The total inclusive production cross-section for isolated prompt photons in the kinematic range of photon transverse momentum larger than 3.0 GeV and absolute photon pseudorapidity less than 1 is determined to be 0.32 +- 0.04 (stat) +- 0.04 (sys) pb. Differential cross-sections are compared to the predictions of a next-to-leading-order (NLO) calculation.
The total prompt photon cross section in the kinematic range defined by theanti tagging condition.
Differential cross section in PT.
Differential cross section in ETARAP.
Di-jet producion is studied in collisions of quasi-real photons at e+e- centre- of-mass energies sqrt(s)ee from 189 to 209 GeV at LEP. The data were collected with the OPAL detector. Jets are reconstructed using an inclusive k_t clustering algorithm for all cross-section measurements presented. A cone jet algorithm is used in addition to study the different structure of the jets resulting from either of the algorithms. The inclusive di-jet cross-section is measured as a function of the mean transverse energy Etm(jet) of the two leading jets, and as a functiuon of the estimated fraction of the photon momentum carried by the parton entering the hard sub-process, xg, for different regions of Etm (jet). Angular distribution in di-jet events are measured and used to demonstrate the dominance of quark and gluon initiated processes in different regions of phase space. Furthermore the inclusive di-jet cross-section as a function of |eta(jet)| and |delta eta (jet)| is presented where eta(jet) is the jet pseudo-rapidity. Different regions of the xg+ -xg- -space are explored to study and control the influence of an underlying event. The results are compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and to the predictions of the leading order Monte Carlo generator PYTHIA.
The di-jet cross section as a function of the angle between the jet and thedirection of the incoming parton in the centre-of-mass frame for the region whe re both X(C=GAMMA+) and X(C=GAMMA-) are > 0.75.
The di-jet cross section as a function of the angle between the jet and thedirection of the incoming parton in the centre-of-mass frame for the region whe re both X(C=GAMMA+) and X(C=GAMMA-) are < 0.75.
The di-jet cross section as a function of the mean transverse energy of thedi-jet system for the full X(C=GAMMA+) and X(C=GAMMA-) region.
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)
No description provided.
Correlation matrix of statistical uncertainties.
Correlation matrix of positive systematic uncertainties.
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.
The measured values of the PTIN distribution.
The measured values of the PTOUT distribution.
The measured values of the rapidity, YRAP, distribution.
The production of charm quarks is studied in deep-inelastic electron-photon scattering using data recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP at normal e+e- centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. The charm quarks have been identified by full reconstruction of charged D* mesons using their decays into D0pi with the D0 observed in two decay modes with charged particle final states, Kpi and K3pi. The cross-section sigma(D*) for production of charged D* in the reaction e+e- -> e+e-D*X is measured in a restricted kinematical region using two bins in Bjorken x, 0.0014 < x < 0.1 and 0.1 < x < 0.87. From sigma(D*) the charm production cross-section sigma(e+e- -> e+e- ccbar X) and the charm structure function of the photon F 2,c are determined in the region 0.0014 < x < 0.87 and 5 < Q2 < 100 GeV2. For x > 0.1 the perturbative QCD calculation at next-to-leading order agrees perfectly with the measured cross-section. For x < 0.1 the measured cross-section is 43.8 +- 14.3 +- 6.3 +- 2.8 pb with a next-to-leading order prediction of 17.0+2.9-2.3 p.b
The inclusive D* production cross section.
The inclusive charm quark pair cross section. The second DSYS error is due to extrapolation.
The measured structure function F2(C=CHARM). The second DSYS error is due to extrapolation.
The charged particle multiplicities of two- and three-jet events from the reaction e+e- -> Z0 -> hadrons are measured for Z0 decays to light quark (uds) flavors. Using recent theoretical expressions to account for biases from event selection, results corresponding to unbiased gluon jets are extracted over a range of jet energies from about 11 to 30 GeV. We find consistency between these results and direct measurements of unbiased gluon jet multiplicity from upsilon and Z0 decays. The unbiased gluon jet data including the direct measurements are compared to corresponding results for quark jets. We perform fits based on analytic expressions for particle multiplicity in jets to determine the ratio r = Ng/Nq of multiplicities between gluon and quark jets as a function of energy. We also determine the ratio of slopes, r(1) = (dNg/dy)/(dNq/dy), and of curvatures, r(2) = (d2Ng/dy2)/(d2Nq/dy2), where y specifies the energy scale. At 30 GeV, we find r = 1.422 +/- 0.051, r(1) = 1.761 +/- 0.071 and r(2) = 1.98 +/- 0.13, where the uncertainties are the statistical and systematic terms added in quadrature. These results are in general agreement with theoretical predictions. In addition, we use the measurements of the energy dependence of Ng and Nq to determine an effective value of the ratio of QCD color factors, CA/CF. Our result, CA/CF = 2.23 +/- 0.14 (total), is consistent with the QCD value of 2.25.
Measurements of the mean charged particle multiplicity of biased two-jet uds flavour events from Z0 decays as a function of the transverse momentum cutoff PT(C=LU) used to separate two- and three-jet events.
Measurements of the mean charged particle multiplicity of three-jet uds flavour 'Y events' from Z0 decays, as a function of the angle THETA1 between the lowest two energy jets. The results for the quark jet scale SQRT(S(C=QQBAR)) and the gluon jet scales PT(C=LU) and PT(C=LE) are also given.
Measurements of the unbiased gluon multiplicity as a function of the energy scale Q=PT(C=LU). The corresponding bins of THETA1 in 'Y events' are also indicated.
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