We have studied hadronic events from e+e- annihilation data at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt{s}=172, 183 and 189 GeV. The total integrated luminosity of the three samples, measured with the OPAL detector, corresponds to 250 pb^-1. We present distributions of event shape variables, charged particle multiplicity and momentum, measured separately in the three data samples. From these we extract measurements of the strong coupling alpha_s, the mean charged particle multiplicity <nch> and the peak position xi_0 in the xi_p=ln(1/x_p) distribution. In general the data are described well by analytic QCD calculations and Monte Carlo models. Our measured values of alpha_s, <nch> and xi_0 are consistent with previous determinations at sqrt{s}=MZ.
Distribution of Thrust.
Distribution of Thrust Major.
Distribution of Thrust Minor.
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.
The weighted value of ALPHA-S from all the measured observables using experimentally optimized renormalization scale values and corrected for the b-mass toleading order.
The value of ALPHA-S derived from the JCEF and corrected for heavy quark mass effects. The quoted errors are respectively due to experimental error, hadronization, renormalization scale and heavy quark mass correction uncertainties.
Energy Energy Correlation EEC.
The jet character of the hadronic final states produced ine+e− annihilations is studied in terms of jet measures such as thrust, sphericity, jet opening angle and jet masses, in the energy range 7.7 to 31.6 GeV. All distributions and averages have been corrected for detector effects and initial state radiation. The energy dependence of the averages of these jet quantities is used to estimate the contributions due to perturbative QCD and fragmentation effects. Correlations between the jet measures and the multiplicity of charged hadrons are also presented.
DIFFERENTIAL THRUST DISTRIBUTIONS WHERE THRUST IS MAX(SUM(ABS(PLONG))/SUM(ABS(P))).
MEAN THRUST VALUES AS A FUNCTION OF CM ENERGY.
DIFFERENTIAL SPERICITY DISTRIBUTIONS WHERE SPHERICITY IS 3/2*MIN(SUM(PT**2)/SUM(ABS(P))).
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