The differential elastic scattering cross section for 2.24 GeV/ c K − p collisions has been measured in film from the Brookhaven 20″ bubble chamber. The total elastic cross section is found to be 6.2 ± 0.7 mb. The exponential dependence on square of the momentum t in (GeV/ c ) 2 is fitted by ( d σ d Ω elastic = (12.4 ± 1.0 mb/sr) exp (7.81 ± 0.25)t . A A fit to a black disc model requires a radius of 0.95 ± 0.05 fm.

The forward-backward asymmetry in e + e − → b b at s = 57.9 GeV and the b-quark branching ratio to muons have been measured using neural networks. Unlike previous methods for measuring the b b forward-backward asymmetry where the estimated background from c -quark decays and other sources are subtracted, here events are categorized as either b b or non- b b events by neural networks based on event-by-event characteristics. The determined asymmetry is −0.429 ± 0.044 (stat) ± 0.047 (sys) and is consistent with the prediction of the standard model. The measured B B mixing parameter is 0.136 ± 0.037 (stat) ± 0.040 (sys) ± 0.002 (model) and the measured b-quark branching ratio to muons is 0.122 ± 0.006 (stat) ± 0.007 (sys).

Two samples of exclusive semileptonic decays, 579 B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ events and 261 B 0 → D + ℓ − ν ℓ events, are selected from approximately 3.9 million hadronic Z decays collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP. From the reconstructed differential decay rate of each sample, the product of the hadronic form factor F (ω) at zero recoil of the D (∗)+ meson and the CKM matrix element | V cb | are measured to be F D ∗+ (1)|V cb | = (31.9 ± 1.8 stat ± 1.9 syst ) × 10 −3 , F D + (1)| V cb | = (27.8 ± 6.8 stat ± 6.5 syst ) × 10 −3 . The ratio of the form factors F D + (1) and F D ∗+ (1) is measured to be F D + (1) F D ∗+ (1) = 0.87 ± 0.22 stat ± 0.21 syst . A value of | V cb | is extracted from the two samples, using theoretical constraints on the slope and curvature of the hadronic form factors and their normalization at zero recoil, with the result | V cb | = (34.4 ± 1.6 stat ± 2.3 syst ± 1.4 th ) × 10 −3 . The branching fractions are measured from the two integrated spectra to be Br ( B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ ) = (5.53 ± 0.26 stat ±0.52 syst ) %, Br ( B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ ) = (2.35 ± 0.20 stat ± 0.44 syst ) %.

Inelastic differential cross sections have been measured for π±p, K±p, and p±p at 140- and 175-GeV/c incident momentum over a |t| range from 0.05 to 0.6 GeV2 and covering a missing-mass region from 2.4 to 9 GeV2. For Mx2 greater than 4 GeV2, the invariant quantity Mx2d2σdtdMx2 was found to be independent of Mx2 at fixed t and could be adequately described by a simple triple-Pomeron form. The values obtained for the triple-Pomeron couplings are identical within statistics for all channels.

We present the first experimental study of the ratio of cumulant to factorial moments of the charged-particle multiplicity distribution in high-energy particle interactions, using hadronic Z$^0$ decays collected by the SLD experiment at SLAC. We find that this ratio, as a function of the moment-rank $q$, decreases sharply to a negative minimum at $q=5$, which is followed by quasi-oscillations. These features are insensitive to experimental systematic effects and are in qualitative agreement with expectations from next-to-next-to-leading-order perturbative QCD.

From 2540 Z 0 → τ + τ − events, we determine the inclusive decay branching fractions of the τ -lepton into one and three charged particles to be 0.856 ± 0.006 (stat.) ± 0.003 (syst.) and 0.144 ± 0.006 (stat.) ± 0.003 (syst.), respectively. The leptonic branching fractions are measured to be 0.175 ± 0.008 (stat.) ± 0.005 (syst.) for τ → μν μ ντ and 0.177 ± 0.007 (stat.) ± 0.006 (syst.) for τ → eν e ν τ . We determined the τ lifetime both from three-prong decays using the decay length and from one-prong decays using the impact parameter. The results from the two independent methods agree and yield a combined value of [0.309 ± 0.023 (stat.) ± 0.030 (syst.)] × 10 −12 s.

In four-jet events from e + e − →Z 0 →multihadrons one can separate the three principal contributions from the triple-gluon vertex, double gluon-bremsstrahlung and the secondary quark-antiquark production, using the shape of the two-dimensional angular distributions in the generalized Nachtmann-Reiter angle θ NR ∗ and the opening angle of the secondary jets. Thus one can identify directly the contribution from the triple-gluon vertex without comparison with a specific non-QCD model. Applying this new method to events taken with the DELPHI-detector we get for the ratio of the colour factor N c to the fermionic Casimir operator C F : N c C F = 2.55 ± 0.55 ( stat. ) ± 0.4 ( fragm. + models ) ± 0.2 ( error in bias ) in agreement with the value 2.25 expected in QCD from N c =3 and C F = 4 3 .

The ratio of the branching fractions for p p →K + K − and p p →π + π − was determined with the CPLEAR detector, by stopping antiprotons in a gaseous hydrogen target at 15 bar pressure. It was found to be BR(K + K − )/BR( π + π − )=0.205± 0.016. The fraction of P-wave annihilation at rest at this target density was deduced to be (38±9)%.

Absolute cross sections for Compton scattering from protons have been determined at 180° for the backscattered photon at incident laboratory photon energies of 98 and 132 MeV. For the difference between the electric and the magnetic polarizability of the proton a value of (7.03 − 2.37 +2.49 − 2.05 +2.14 ) × 10 −4 fm 3 has been derived using the predictions from calculations based on relativistic dispersion relations.

None

We present measurement of the π0γ*γ, ηγ*γ and η′γ*γ form factors. The π0-form factor is for the first time observed in the space-like region. The transition form factor of the η-meson is determined from its decay modes π+π−π0, π+π−γ and the neutral decay mode γγ. The decay of the η′ is observed in the decay channels ργ, ηπ+π− with η→γγ and in the four charged prong final state stemming from ηπ+π− with the η decaying into π+π−(π0/γ). All form factors agree well with a simple ρ-pole predicted by the vector meson dominance model and also with the QCD inspired Brodsky-Lepage model.

The p+p→π++d reaction is studied at excess energies between 0.275 and 3.86 MeV. Differential and total cross section were measured employing a magnetic spectrometer with nearly 4π acceptance in the center of mass system. The measured anisotropies between 0.008 and 0.29 indicate that the p wave is not negligible even so close to threshold. The data are compared to other data offering no evidence for charge symmetry breaking or time reversal violation. The s-wave and p-wave contributions at threshold are deduced.

A measurement of theτ lepton polarization and its forward-backward asymmetry at the Z0 resonance using the OPAL detector is described. The measurement is based on analyses of τ→ρντ, ττπ(K)ντ,\(\tau\to e\bar \nu _e \nu _\tau\),\(\tau\to \mu \bar \nu _\mu\nu _\tau\) andτ→a1ντ decays from a sample of 89075 e+e−→τ+τ− candidates corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 117 pb−1. Assuming that theτ lepton decays according to V-A theory, we measure the averageτ polarization at √s=MZ to be 〈P〉=(−13.0±0.9±0.9)% and theτ polarization forward-backward asymmetry to be ApolFB=(−9.4±1.0±0.4)%, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. These results are consistent with the hypothesis of lepton universality and, when combined, can be expressed as a measurement of sin2θefflept=0.2334±0.0012 within the context of the Standard Model.

The Michel parameters ϱ, η, ξ, and ξδ, the chirality parameter ξ h and the τ polarization P τ are measured using 32012 τ pair decays. Their values are extracted from the energy spectra of leptons and hadrons in τ − → l − ν l ν τ and τ − → π − ν τ decays, the energy and decay angular distributions in τ − → ϱ − ν τ decays, and the correlations in the energy spectra and angular distributions of the decay products. Assuming universality in leptonic and semileptonic τ decays, the results are ϱ = 0.794±0.039±0.031, η = 0.25±0.17±0.11, ξ = 0.94±0.21±0.07, ξδ = 0.81±0.14±0.06, ξ h = −0.970±0.053±0.011, and P τ = −0.154±0.018±0.012. The measurement is in agreement with the V-A hypothesis for the weak charged current.

This letter reports the results of the measurement of single photon production in the reaction e + e − → γ + invisible particles at centre-of-mass energies s =130 and 136 GeV and an integrated luminosity of 5.83 pb −1 , collected with the DELPHI detector at LEP. The signal is compatible with the prediction of the Standard Model for the process e + e − → ν ν γ , and the number of neutrino families has been determined to be N ν = 3.1 ± 0.6. Limits have been derived on anomalous neutral gauge boson couplings and on compositeness in the framework of a specific model.

Using the ARGUS detector at the e + e − storage ring DORIS II at DESY, we have made two measurements of the mixing parameter χ d using kaons as flavour tags. Using D ∗+ K ± correlations we found χ d = 0.20 ± 0.13 ± 0.12 and from the study of (D ∗+ ℓ − ) K ± correlations we obtained χ d = 0.19 ± 0.07 ± 0.09. The branching ratio for B → D ∗+ X has been updated: Br( B → D ∗+ X) = (19.6 ± 1.9) %. We have also determined the average multiplicity of charged kaons in B 0 decays to be 0.78 ± 0.08.

The Compton scattering cross section on the proton has been measured at laboratory angles of 90$~\circ$ and 135$~\circ$ using tagged photons in the energy range 70--100 MeV and simultaneously using untagged photons in the range 100--148MeV. With the aid of dispersion relations, these cross sections were used to extract the electric and magnetic polarizabilities, $\bar{\alpha}$ and $\bar{\beta}$ respectively, of the proton. We find $$\bar{\alpha}+\bar{\beta} = ( 15.0 \pm 2.9 \pm 1.1 \pm 0.4 ) \times 10~{-4} \: {\rm fm}~3,$$ in agreement with a model-independent dispersion sum rule, and $$\bar{\alpha}-\bar{\beta} = ( 10.8 \pm 1.1 \pm 1.4 \pm 1.0 ) \times 10~{-4} \: {\rm fm}~3,$$ where the errors shown are statistical, systematic, and model-dependent, respectively. A comparison with previous experiments is given and global values for the polarizabilities are extracted.

The interaction of spins in a spin-polarized test mass and those in a paramagentic salt, separated by a μ-metal shield and a double-layer superconducting shield, was investigated. Our results set a limit on electron spin interactions and on moments which are not of electromagnetic origin. In terms of a standard dipole-dipole form, the limit is (2.7±2.4)×10−14 of the interaction strength between the magnetic moments of the electrons. Compared to previous results, this is more than a twentyfold improvement.

CP violation has been observed as a time-dependent rate asymmetry between the decays ${⩈erline K}^0 ⌝ghtarrow ≪^{0} ≪^{0}$ and K0 → π0π{0}, where the neutral kaons are produced with definite and individually known strangeness in ${⋏r p}p ⌝ghtarrow{⩈erline K}^0 K^+≪^- $ or p̅p → K0 K− π+. A special technique for the data analysis has been developed. The values obtained for ϕ00 and ¦ η00¦ are in agreement with those of previous measurements of CP violation.

The Beijing Spectrometer (BES) experiment has observed purely leptonic decays of the Ds meson in the reaction e+e−→Ds+Ds− at a c.m. energy of 4.03 GeV. Three events are observed in which one Ds decays hadronically to φπ, K¯*0K, or K¯0K, and the other decays leptonically to μνμ or τντ. With the assumption of μ−τ universality, values of the branching fraction, B(Ds→μνμ)=(1.5−0.6−0.2+1.3+0.3)%, and the Ds pseudoscalar decay constant, fDs=(4.3−1.3−0.4+1.5+0.4)×102 MeV, are obtained.

A search for the 0 + → 2 + neutrinoless double-beta decay of 76 Ge into the first excited state of 76 Se has been carried out using a coincidence technique between Ge and NaI detectors. Since the expected number of counts is very small and mixed with a continuous background of natural radioactivity, special care has been taken to maintain the good energy resolution of the detectors. As a consequence, the experimental data display, after 6207 h statistical time, a coincidence signal of 19.3 ± 5.8 counts, between an energy deposition of 1484.0 ± 0.3 keV in the Ge detectors and 561 ± 10 keV in the NaI detectors. Both Ge and NaI energies are within the experimental errors, compatible with the expected values. No other unidentified coincidence signal has been found in the full Ge-NaI energy matrix, and no similar γγ cascade has been found within our background. Even if the low statistics does not completely rule out the possibility of a statistical fluctuation, this result should encourage further experiments with improved sensitivities.