We have developed a new technique for inclusive reconstruction of the energy of B hadrons. The excellent efficiency and resolution of this technique allow us to make the most precise determination of the b-quark fragmentation function, using e+e- -> Z0 decays recorded in the SLD experiment at SLAC. We compared our measurement with the predictions of a number of fragmentation models. We excluded several of these models and measured the average scaled energy of weakly-decaying B hadrons to be <x_B>=0.714+-0.005(stat)+-0.007(syst) +-0.002(model dependence).
Unfolded distribution of weakly decaying scaled B-hadron enery with statistical errors only.
The strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z^2) has been measured using hadronic decays of Z^0 bosons collected by the SLD experiment at SLAC. The data were compared with QCD predictions both at fixed order, O(alpha_s^2), and including resummed analytic formulae based on the next-to-leading logarithm approximation. In this comprehensive analysis we studied event shapes, jet rates, particle correlations, and angular energy flow, and checked the consistency between alpha_s(M_Z^2) values extracted from these different measures. Combining all results we obtain alpha_s(M_Z^2) = 0.1200 \pm 0.0025(exp.) \pm 0.0078(theor.), where the dominant uncertainty is from uncalculated higher order contributions.
Final average value of alpha_s. The second (DSYS) error is from the uncertainty on the theoretical part of the calculation.
TAU is 1-THRUST.
RHO is the normalized heavy jet mass MH**2/EVIS**2.
We have determined the strong coupling $\as$ from a comprehensive study of energy-energy correlations ($EEC$) and their asymmetry ($AEEC$) in hadronic decays of $Z~0$ bosons collected by the SLD experiment at SLAC. The data were compared with all four available predictions of QCD calculated up to $\Oa2$ in perturbation theory, and also with a resummed calculation matched to all four of these calculations. We find large discrepancies between $\as$ values extracted from the different $\Oa2$ calculations. We also find a large renormalization scale ambiguity in $\as$ determined from the $EEC$ using the $\Oa2$ calculations; this ambiguity is reduced in the case of the $AEEC$, and is very small when the matched calculations are used. Averaging over all calculations, and over the $EEC$ and $AEEC$ results, we obtain $\asz=0.124~{+0.003}_{-0.004} (exp.) \pm 0.009 (theory).$
Statistical errors only.
Statistical errors only.
ALPHAS from the EEC O(ALPHAS**2) measurement.
We have determined the strong coupling αs from measurements of jet rates in hadronic decays of Z0 bosons collected by the SLD experiment at SLAC. Using six collinear and infrared safe jet algorithms we compared our data with the predictions of QCD calculated up to second order in perturbation theory, and also with resummed calculations. We find αs(MZ2)=0.118±0.002(stat)±0.003(syst)±0.010(theory), where the dominant uncertainty is from uncalculated higher order contributions.
The second systematic error comes from the theoretical uncertainties.
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