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.

Production of Sigma- and Lambda(1520) in hadronic Z decays has been measured using the DELPHI detector at LEP. The Sigma- is directly reconstructed as a charged track in the DELPHI microvertex detector and is identified by its Sigma -> n pi decay leading to a kink between the Sigma- and pi-track. The reconstruction of the Lambda(1520) resonance relies strongly on the particle identification capabilities of the barrel Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector and on the ionisation loss measurement of the TPC. Inclusive production spectra are measured for both particles. The production rates are measured to be <N_{Sigma-}/N_{Z}^{had}> = 0.081 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.010, <N_{Lambda(1520)}/N_{Z}^{had}> = 0.029 +/- 0.005 +/- 0.005. The production rate of the Lambda(1520) suggests that a large fraction of the stable baryons descend from orbitally excited baryonic states. It is shown that the baryon production rates in Z decays follow a universal phenomenological law related to isospin, strangeness and mass of the particles.

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.

We have made a precise measurement of the cross section for e + e − →Z 0 →hadrons with the L3 detector at LEP, covering the s range from 88.28 to 95.04 GeV. From a fit to the Z 0 mass, total width, and the hadronic cross section to be M Z 0 =91.160 ± 0.024 (experiment) ±0.030(LEP) GeV, Γ Z 0 =2.539±0.054 GeV, and σ h ( M Z 0 )=29.5±0.7 nb. We also used the fit to the Z 0 peak cross section and the width todetermine Γ invisible =0.548±0.029 GeV, which corresponds to 3.29±0.17 species of light neutrinos. The possibility of four or more neutrino flavors is thus ruled out at the 4σ confidence level.

We report the results of first physics runs of the L3 detector at LEP. Based on 2538 hadron events, we determined the mass m z 0 and the width Γ z 0 of the intermediate vector boson Z 0 to be m z 0 =91.132±0.057 GeV (not including the 46 MeV LEP machine energy uncertainty) and Γ z 0 =2.588±0.137 GeV. We also determined Γ invisible =0.567±0.080 GeV, corresponding to 3.42±0.48 number of neutrino flavors. We also measured the muon pair cross section and determined the branching ratio Γ μμ = Γ h =0.056±0.006. The partial width of Z 0 →e + e − is Γ ee =88±9±7 MeV.

We report on a measurement of the mass of the Z 0 boson, its total width, and its partial decay widths into hadrons and leptons. On the basis of 25 801 hadronic decays and 1999 decays into electrons, muons or taus, selected over eleven energy points between 88.28 GeV and 95.04 GeV, we obtain from a combined fit to hadrons and leptons a mass of M z =91.154±0.021 (exp)±0.030 (LEP) GeV, and a total width of Γ z =2.536±0.045 GeV. The errors on M z have been separated into the experimental error and the uncertainty due to the LEP beam energy. The measured leptonic partial widths are Γ ee =81.2±2.6 MeV, Γ μμ =82.6± 5.8 MeV, and Γ ττ =85.7±7.1 MeV, consistent with lepton universality. From a fit assuming lepton universality we obtain Γ ℓ + ℓ − = 81.9±2.0 MeV. The hadronic partial width is Γ had =1838±46 MeV. From the measured total and partial widths a model independent value for the invisible width is calculated to be Γ inv =453±44 MeV. The errors quoted include both the statistical and the systematic uncertainties.

We have measured both the rates and the forward-backward asymmetry of ℓ + ℓ − from Z 0 →ℓ + ℓ − (where ℓ= μ , τ ) with the L3 detector. We obtained Γ ℓℓ =88±4±3 MeV and the vector neutral current coupling constant, g v =0.00±0.07 and the axial vector neutral current coupling constant, g A =−0.515±0.015.

First measurements of the mass and width of the Z 0 performed at the newly commissioned LEP Collider by the DELPHI Collaboration are presented. The measuements are derived from the study of multihadronic final states produced in e + e − annihilations at several energies around the Z 0 mass. The values found for the mass and width are M (Z 0 )=91.06±0.09 (stat) ±0.045 (syst.) GeV and Γ (Z 0 )=2.42±0.21 (stat.) GeV respectively, froma three-parameter fit to the line shape. A two-parameter fit in the framework of the standard model yields for the number of light neutrino species N ν =2.4±0.4 (stat.) ±0.5 (syst.).

A measurement of the cross section for e + e - → hadrons using 11 000 hadronic decays of the Z boson at ten different center-of-mass energies is presented. A three-parameter fit gives the following values for the Z mass M z , the total width Γ z , the product of the electronic and hadronic partial widths Γ e Γ h , and the unfolded pole cross section σ 0 : M Z =91.171±0.030(stat)±0.030 (beam) GeV, Γ Z =2.511±0.065 GeV, Γ e Γ h =0.148±0.006 (stat.)±0.004 (syst.) GeV 2 , σ 0 =41.6±0.7(stat.)±1.1 (syst.) nb,

More extensive and precise results are reported on the parameters of Z decay. On the basis of 20 000 Z decays collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP we find M z =91.182±0.026 (exp.) ±0.030 (beam) GeV, Γ z =2.541±0.056 GeV and σ had 0 =41.4±0.8 nb. The partial widths for the hadronic and leptonic channels are Γ had =1804±44 MeV, Γ e + e − =82.1±3.4 MeV, Γ μ + μ − =87.9±6.0 MeV and Γ τ + τ − =86.1±5.6 MeV, in good agreement with the standard model. On the basis of the average leptonic width Γ ℓ + ℓ − =83.9±2.2 MeV, the effective weak mixing angle is found to be sin 2 θ w ( M z )=0.231±0.008. Usin g the partial widths calculated in the standard model, the number of light neutrino families is N ν =3.01±0.15 (exp.)±0.05 (theor.).