Cross-sections for hadronic, b-bbar and lepton pair final states in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s) = 183 GeV, measured with the OPAL detector at LEP, are presented and compared with the predictions of the Standard Model. Forward-backward asymmetries for the leptonic final states have also been measured. Cross-sections and asymmetries are also presented for data recorded in 1997 at sqrt(s) = 130 and 136 GeV. The results are used to measure the energy dependence of the electromagnetic coupling constant alpha_em, and to place limits on new physics as described by four-fermion contact interactions or by the exchange of a new heavy particle such as a leptoquark, or of a squark or sneutrino in supersymmetric theories with R-parity violation.
No description provided.
The contribution of interference between initial- and final-state radiationhas been removed.
The contribution of interference between initial- and final-state radiationhas been removed.
Production of events with hadronic and leptonic final states has been measured in e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130-172 GeV, using the OPAL detector at LEP. Cross-sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries are presented, both including and excluding the dominant production of radiative Z \gamma events, and compared to Standard Model expectations. The ratio R_b of the cross-section for bb(bar) production to the hadronic cross-section has been measured. In a model-independent fit to the Z lineshape, the data have been used to obtain an improved precision on the measurement of \gamma-Z interference. The energy dependence of \alpha_em has been investigated. The measurements have also been used to obtain limits on extensions of the Standard Model described by effective four-fermion contact interactions, to search for t-channel contributions from new massive particles and to place limits on chargino pair production with subsequent decay of the chargino into a light gluino and a quark pair.
SIG(C=MEAS) and SIG(C=CORR) stand for measured values without (C=MEAS) and with (C=CORR) correction for interference between initial- and final-state radiation.
The angular distribution of the thrust axis. Errors include statistical and systematic effects combined, with the former dominant.
The measured values include the effect of interference between initial- andfinal-state radiation.
We have studied azimuthal correlations in singly-tagged e+e− → e+e−μ+μ− events at an average Q2 of 5.2 GeV2. The data were taken with the OPAL detector at LEP at e+e− centre-of-mass energies close to the Z0 mass, with an integrated luminosity of approximately 100 pb−1. The azimuthal correlations are used to extract the ratio $F_{B}^{αmma}/F_{2}^{αmma}$ of the QED structure functions $F_{B}^{αmma}(x,Q^{2})$ and $F_{2}^{αmma}(x,Q^{2})$ of the photon. In leading order and neglecting the muon mass $F_{B}^{αmma}$ is expected to be identical to the longitudinal structure function $F_{L}^{αmma}$. The measurement of $F_{B}^{αmma}/F_{2}^{αmma}$ is found to be significantly different from zero and to be consistent with the QED prediction.
No description provided.