We have studied open charm production in $\gamma \gamma$ collisions with the TOPAZ detector at the TRISTAN $e~{+}e~{-}$ collider. In this study, charm quarks were identified by electrons (and positrons) from semi-leptonic decays of charmed hadrons. The data corresponded to an integrated luminosity of 95.3 pb$~{-1}$ at a center-of-mass energy of 58 GeV. The results are presented as the cross sections of inclusive electron production in $\gamma \gamma$ collisions with an anti-tag condition, as well as the subprocess cross sections, which correspond to resolved-photon processes. The latter were measured by using a sub-sample with remnant jets. A comparison with various theoretical predictions based on direct and resolved-photon processes showed that our data prefer that with relatively large gluon contents in a photon at small $x (x \le 0.1)$, with the next-to-leading order correction, and with a charm-quark mass of 1.3 GeV.

The reactions e + e − → μ + μ − and τ + τ − were measured at s =52 GeV and 55 GeV by using the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. For the combined data, the observed charge asymmetry is −0.29±0.13 and the total cross section is 27.9±3.0 (stat.)±0.8 (syst.) pb for μ + μ − production, and those for τ + τ − production are −0.20±0.14 and 35.7±4.3 (stat.)±2.4 (syst.)pb, respectively. These values are consistent with predictions by the standard model of electroweak interactions.

We have studied inclusive muon events using all the data collected by the TOPAZ detector at sqrt(s)=58 GeV with an integrated luminosity of 273pb-1. From 1328 inclusive muon events, we measured the ratio R_qq of the cross section for qq-bar production to the total hadronic cross section and forward-backward asymmetry A^q_FB for b and c quarks. The obtained results are R_bb = 0.13+-0.02(stat)+-0.01(syst), R_cc = 0.36+-0.05(stat)+-0.05(syst), A^b_FB = -0.20+-0.16(stat)+-0.01(syst) and A^c_FB = -0.17+-0.14(stat)+-0.02(syst), in fair agreement with a prediction of the standard model.

We report a study of single photon production in e + e − collisions at s =58 GeV with the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. From data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 213 pb −1 , 5 single photon candidates remained after event selection, which can be compared with the expected 3.1 ν ν γ and 2.8 background events. These results exclude the selectron mass below 47.2 GeV at the 90% confidence level, if e ̃ L and e ̃ R are mass-degenerate and the photino is massless. When combined with results from other experiments, this limit improves to 75.0 GeV.

The total hadronic cross section in e + e − annihilation was measured at s =5.77 GeV to be σ h = 143.6 ± 1.5 (stat) ± 3.5 (sys) pb with only the QED corrections. The measurement was based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 90.8 pb −1 accumulated by the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. Our data point put stringent constraints on the size of the γ - Z 0 interference and the Z 0 mass. Combining our data with the OPAL data at LEP, we obtained the coefficient of the interference and the Z 0 mass to be J had = 0.10 ± 0.26 and M z = 91.151 ± 0.008 GeV, respectively, in a model-independent analysis.

We have carried out inclusive measurements of $\Lambda(\overline{\Lambda})$ production in two-photon processes at TRISTAN. The mean $\sqrt{s}$ was 58 GeV and the integrated luminosity was 265 pb$~{-1}$. Inclusive $\Lambda (\overline{\Lambda})$ samples were obtained under such conditions as no-electron, anti-electron, and remnant-jet tags. The data were compared with theoretical calculations. The measured cross sections are two-times larger than the leading-order theoretical predictions, suggesting the necessity of next-to-leading-order Monte-Carlo generator.

We have measured the photon structure function F 2 γ in the reaction e + e − → e + e − hadrons for average Q 2 values from 5.1 to 338 GeV 2 by using data collected by the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. The data have been corrected for detector effects and are compared with theoretical expectations based on QCD. The structure function F 2 γ increases as ln Q 2 , as expected. A sample of events with one or two distinct jets has been identified in the final state. Although two-jet events can be explained solely by the point-like perturbative part, one-jet events require a significant hadron-like part in addition.

We have measured the inclusive $D~{*\pm}$ production cross section in a two-photon collision at the TRISTAN $e~+e~-$ collider. The mean $\sqrt{s}$ of the collider was 57.16 GeV and the integrated luminosity was 150 $pb~{-1}$. The differential cross section ($d\sigma(D~{*\pm})/dP_T$) was obtained in the $P_T$ range between 1.6 and 6.6 GeV and compared with theoretical predictions, such as those involving direct and resolved photon processes.

We have investigated the properties of jet production in almost real γγ collisions at √ s =58 GeV with the TOPAZ detector at the TRISTAN e + e − collider. The data were analyzed with a jet-clustering method based on a cone algorithm. The jet rate shows evidence for a hard scattering effect of the hadronic constituents of a photon (resolved photon processes). We have also observed a substantial energy flow in the small-angle region, which is additional evidence for resolved photon processes. We present the transverse momentum dependence of the inclusive jet and two-jet cross sections and compare them with different model predictions.

We carried out the energy scan between E CM = 58 and 60 GeV at the TRISTAN e + e − collider to search for the possible narrow resonance suggested by the L3 experiment at LEP. The total cross sections are measured for γγ, multihadron, e + e − and μ + μ − production at ten energy points covering this energy range almost uniformly. The results are in good agreement with the Standard Model predictions, and 95% confidence level upper limits are set to Γ ee × BR of the hypothetical scalar and tensor resonances.

An experimental study of b-quark jets using high- p T electrons was carried out at √ s =58 GeV with the TOPAZ detector at the e + e − collider TRISTAN at KEK. The forward-backward charge asymmetry of the b-quark was obtained to be A b b ̄ =−0.55±0.27( stat. )±0.07( syst. ) , consistent with the standard model prediction. Also, such jet properties of the b-quark as the average charged multiplicity and the rapidity of charged particles were analyzed. In order to purify the b-quark event samples in this analysis, only events with backward-going electrons or forward-going positrons were used. The energy dependence of these jet properties was studied by making comparisons with the results of the DELCO experiment at the PEP collider (√ s =29 GeV) at SLAC.

The process e + e − → μ + μ − and e + e − have been studied in the energy range s =52−61.4 GeV , using the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. From an integrated luminosity of L = 74.0 pb −1 , lowest-order cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries are measured to be 〈σ μμ 〈 = 25.4±0.9±1.2 pb , 〈A μμ 〉 = (−32.2±3.1±1.1)%, 〈σ ττ 〉 = 27.1±1.1±1.2 pb , 〈A ττ 〉 = (−33.9±4.9±1.0)% , at an average energy of s 〉=57.87 GeV . From the measured assymetry we derive axial vector couplings of a c a μ =0.96±0.09±0.01,and a c a τ =1.01±0.14±0.01±. These results are consistent with standard model expectations. Lower limits in the range 2–5 TeV (95%CL)are placed on compositeness scale parameters for leptons.

We have measured the cross section for γγ production with the TOPAZ detector in the energy region √ s =50.0–61.4 GeV. The observed cross section for γγ production integrated over |cos θ | ⩽ 0.77 is 50.2±0.8±2.2 pb at 〈√ s 〉=57.6 GeV and the ratio of this value to the QED prediction is 1.01±0.02±0.04. The angular distribution is in good agreement with the QED predictions, thereby setting limits on the compositeness scales, Λ L+R + =168 GeV, Λ L+R − =97 GeV, Λ L,R =141 GeV, Λ L,R − =81 GeV, and Λ L−R ± =68 GeV, at the 95% confidence level. The reaction e + e − → γγγ was also studied and was found consistent with the QED prediction.

We have collected 122 multi-hadronic inclusive muon events with the TOPAZ detector at 〈 s 〉 = 58.27 GeV with ∫ L d t=40.61 pb −1 . From this event sample we derived the differential cross section for B-hadron productions and determined B-hadron forward-backward asymmetry (A b b ) to be A b b = −0.71 ± 0.34 ( stat ) +0.07 −0.08 ( syst ) . A fit to the differential cross section, after correcting for the effect of B 0 B 0 mixing, yielded the axial-vector coupling constant of the b-quark ( a b ): a b = −1.79 +0.34 −0.32 (stat) +0.15 −0.14 (syst). We also set a 90% confidence level limit of χ <0.37 on the B 0 B 0 mixing parameter.

We have measured the total e + e − hadronic annihilation cross section at the center of mass energies between 50.0 GeV and 61.4 GeV with the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. The full electroweak radiative corrections (up to O(α 3 )) were applied to the data which were analysed together with the published data from PEP and PETRA. We then determined the standard model parameters, M z (the mass of the Z), sin w 2 θ (the Weinberg angle) and Λ MS (the QCD scale parameter) by comparing the experimental data with the prediction of the standard model. The best fit values are M z = 89.2 −1.8 +2.1 GeV/c 2 , sin 2 θ w = 0.233 −0.025 +0.035 and Λ MS = 0.327 −0.206 +0.275 GeV. A constraint is obtained on the heavy top quark mass through the radiative corrections if we take the SLC value of M z (91.1 GeV / c 2 ).

We searched for possible signatures of top-quark production in 508 e+e− hadronic annihilation events collected at s=52 GeV by the TOPAZ detector at the KEK e+e− collider TRISTAN. The observed hadronic cross section and shape of hadronic events are consistent with the standard-model predictions without top quarks. A lower limit (95% confidence level) on the mass of the lightest top meson is set at 25.8 GeV.