The cross section for the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-$ is measured in the c.m. energy range 1.04-1.38 GeV from 995 000 selected collinear events including 860000 $e^+e^-$ events, 82000 $\mu^+\mu^-$ events, and 33000 $\pi^+\pi^-$ events. The systematic and statistical errors of measuring the pion form factor are equal to 1.2-4.2 and 5-13%, respectively.

We have measured parity-nonconserving optical rotation in the vicinity of the M1 absorption transition at 876 nm in bismuth. The result, R = Im(E1PNC/M1) = (-10.0 ± 1.0) centerdot 10-8, is in agreement with calculations based on the standard model of the electroweak interaction. The predicted form of the PNC rotation spectrum has been verified to high accuracy.

Parity non-conserving (PNC) optical rotation has been measured by laser polarimetry in the 648 nm magnetic dipole transition (6p$^{3}J$=$\frac{3}{2}\rightarrow$6p$^{3}J'=\frac{5}{2}$) in atomic bismuth. The experiment involves finding the small differences in rotation between selected frequency points in the vicinity of the F = 6 $\rightarrow$ F' = 7 hyperfine component. Faraday rotation, which can be distinguished from PNC rotation by its wavelength dependence, is used in locking the laser frequency and calibrating the PNC' effect. Results obtained over a six-year period are summarised; a detailed discussion of error sources and associated tests is given. The final result for the PNC parameter of the 648 nm transition is R = (-9.3 $\pm$ 1.4)X10$^{-8}$. This is in agreement with the measurements of Birich et a/ but not with those of Barkov and Zolotorev. It is also consistent with the standard model of the electroweak interaction, but the uncertainty in the atomic theory is now the limiting factor in the comparison.

We present a measurement of the pion form factor based on e+e- annihilation data from the CMD-2 detector in the energy range 0.6<sqrt(s)<1.0 GeV with a systematic uncertainty of 0.8%. A data sample is five times larger than that used in our previous measurement.

The cross section of the process e+e- -> pi+pi- has been measured at the CMD-2 detector in the 370-520 MeV center-of-mass (c.m.) energy range. A systematic uncertainty of the measurement is 0.7 %. Using all CMD-2 data on the pion form factor, the pion electromagnetic radius was calculated. The cross section of muon pair production was also determined.

The processes e+ e- --> eta gamma, e+ e- --> pi0 gamma --> 3 gamma have been studied in the c.m. energy range 600--1380 MeV with the CMD-2 detector. The following branching ratios have been determined: Br(rho --> eta gamma) = (3.21 +- 1.39 +- 0.20)x 10^{-4}; Br(omega --> eta gamma) = (4.44 + 2.29 -1.83 +- 0.28)x 10^{-4}; Br(phi --> eta gamma) = (1.373 +- 0.014 +- 0.085)x 10^{-2}; Br(rho --> pi0 gamma) = (6.21 +1.28 - 1.18 +- 0.39)x 10^{-4}; Br(omega --> pi0 gamma) = (9.06 +- 0.20 +- 0.57)x 10^{-2}; Br(phi --> pi0 gamma) = (1.258 +- 0.037 +- 0.077)x 10^{-3};

The e+e- -> pi+pi-pi+pi- cross section has been measured using 5.8/pb of integrated luminosity collected with the CMD-2 detector at the VEPP-2M collider. Analysis of the data with a refined efficiency determination and use of both three- and four-track events allowed doubling of a data sample and reduction of systematic errors to 5-7%.

The cross section of the process e+ e- --> pi0 pi0 gamma has been measured in the c.m. energy range 600--970 MeV with the CMD-2 detector. The following branching ratios have been determined: B(rho --> pi0 pi0 gamma) =(5.2^{+1.5}_{-1.3} +- 0.6)x10^{-5} and B(omega --> pi0 pi0 gamma) =(6.4^{+2.4}_{-2.0} +- 0.8)x10^{-5}. Evidence for the rho --> f0(600) gamma decay has been obtained: B(rho --> f0(600) gamma) = (6.0^{+3.3}_{-2.7}\pm 0.9)x10^{-5}. From a search for the process e+ e- --> eta pi0 gamma the following upper limit has been obtained: B(omega --> eta pi0 gamma) < 3.3 10^{-5} at 90% CL.

The cross section of the process e+ e- --> omega pi0 --> pi0 pi0 gamma has been measured in the c.m. energy range 920-1380 MeV with the CMD-2 detector. Its energy dependence is well described by the interference of the rho(770) and rho'(1450) mesons decaying to omega pi0. Upper limits for the cross sections of the direct processes e+ e- --> pi0 pi0 gamma, eta pi0 gamma have been set.

The cross section of the process e+e- -> pi+pi- has been measured using about 114000 events collected by the CMD-2 detector at the VEPP-2M e+e- collider in the center-of-mass energy range from 0.61 to 0.96 GeV. Results of the pion form factor determination with a 0.6% systematic uncertainty are presented. Implications for the hadronic contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment are discussed.

First results of the study of the process e+e- \to 4\pi by the CMD-2 collaboration at VEPP-2M are presented for the energy range 1.05--1.38 GeV. Using an integrated luminosity of 5.8 pb^{-1}, energy dependence of the processes e+e- \to \pi^+\pi^- 2\pi^0 and e+e- \to 2\pi^+ 2\pi^- has been measured. Analysis of the differential distributions demonstrates the dominance of the a_1\pi and \omega\pi intermediate states. Upper limits for the contributions of other alternative mechanisms are also placed.

Using 3.07 ${pb}^{-1}$ of data collected in the energy range 0.60-0.97 GeV by CMD-2, about 150 events of the process $\epm \to \pch$ have been selected. The energy dependence of the cross section agrees with the assumption of the $a_1(1260) \pi$ intermediate state which is dominant above 1 GeV. For the first time \fourpi events are observed at the $\rho$ meson energy. Under the assumption that all these events come from the $\rho$ meson decay, the value of the cross section at the $\rho$ meson peak corresponds to the following decay width: \Gamma(\rho^0 \to \fourpi) = (2.8 \pm 1.4 \pm 0.5) {keV} or to the branching ratio B(\rho^0 \to \fourpi) = (1.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 0.3) \cdot 10 ^{-5}.

About 11 200 e^+e^- -> omega -> pi^+pi^-pi^0 events selected in the center of mass energy range from 760 to 810 MeV were used for the measurement of the \omega meson parameters. The following results have been obtained: sigma _{0}=(1457 \pm 23 \pm 19)nb, m_{\omega}=(782.71 \pm 0.07 \pm 0.04) MeV/c^{2}, \Gamma_{\omega}=(8.68 \pm 0.23 \pm 0.10) MeV, \Gamma_{e^+e^-}\cdot Br (\omega -> pi^+pi^-pi^0)= (0.528 \pm 0.012 \pm 0.007) \cdot 10^{-3} MeV.

Using 11.6 pb^{-1} of data collected in the energy range 0.984--1.06 GeV by CMD-2 at VEPP-2M, the cross section of the reaction e+e- to pi+pi-pi+pi- has been studied. For the first time an interference pattern was observed in the energy dependence of the cross section near the phi meson. The branching ratio of the phi to pi+pi-pi+pi- decay double suppressed by the G-parity and OZI rule is measured Br(phi to pi+pi-pi+pi-) = (3.93 +- 1.74 +- 2.14) \cdot 10^{-6}. The upper limits have been placed for the decays phi to pi+pi-pi+pi-pi0 and phi to eta pi+pi- Br(phi to pi+pi-pi+pi-pi0) < 4.6 \cdot 10^{-6} 90% CL, Br(phi to eta pi+pi-) < 1.8 \cdot 10^{-5} 90% CL.

In experiments with the CMD-2 detector at the VEPP-2M electron-positron collider at Novosibirsk about 150000 $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-$ events were recorded in the center-of-mass energy range from 0.61 up to 0.96 GeV. The result of the pion form factor measurement with a 1.4% systematic error is presented. The following values of the $\rho$-meson and $\rho-\omega$ interference parameters were found: $M_\rho=(775.28\pm 0.61\pm 0.20) MeV, \Gamma_\rho=(147.70\pm 1.29 \pm 0.40) MeV, \Gamma(\rho\to e^+e^-)=(6.93\pm 0.11\pm 0.10) keV, Br(\omega\to\pi^+\pi^-) = (1.32\pm 0.23)%$.

A study of the φ → π + π − π 0 decay mode has been performed using a data sample of about 2.0 million φ decays collected by the CMD-2 detector at VEPP-2M collider in Novosibirsk. The following parameters of the φ -meson have been measured: Br ( φ → π + π − π 0 )=0.145±0.009±0.003 and δ φ − ω =162±17°. The analysis of the Dalitz plot showed the dominance of the φ → ρπ intermediate mechanism, the limits for the ratio of the direct amplitude of φ →3 π to that of φ → ρπ are −0.16< a 1 <0.11 at 90% C.L. The upper limits for the probabilities of the decay modes φ → π + π − η and direct φ → ργγ have been found for the first time: Br ( φ → π + π − η )<3×10 −4 and Br ( φ → ργγ )<5×10 −4 at 90% C.L.

A search for phi radiative decays has been performed using a data sample of about 2.0 million phi decays collected by the CMD-2 detector at VEPP-2M collider in Novosibirsk. From the selected e+ e- -> pi+ pi- gamma events the following results were obtained: B(phi -> f0(980) gamma) < 1x10-4 for destructive and B(phi -> f0(980) gamma) < 7x10-4 for constructive interference with the Bremsstrahlung process respectively, B(phi -> gamma -> pi+ pi- gamma) < 3x10-5 for E of gamma > 20 MeV, B(phi -> rho gamma) < 7x10-4. From the selected e+ e- -> mu+ mu- gamma events B(phi -> mu+ mu- gamma) = (2.3+-1.0)x10-5 has been obtained for E of gamma> 20 MeV. The upper limit on the P,CP-violating decay eta -> pi+ pi- has also been placed: B(eta -> pi+ pi-) < 9x10-4 . All upper limits are at 90 % C.L.

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 ) %.

A lower limit on the oscillation frequency of the B s 0 B s 0 system is obtained from approximately four million hadronic Z decays accumulated using the ALEPH detector at LEP from 1991 to 1995. Leptons are combined with opposite sign D s − candidates reconstructed in seven different decay modes as evidence of semileptonic B s 0 decays. Criteria designed to ensure precise proper time reconstruction select 277D s − ℓ + combinations. The initial state of these B s 0 candidates is determined using an algorithm optimized to efficiently utilise the tagging information available for each event. The limit at 95% confidence level on the B s 0 B s 0 oscillation frequency is Δm s > 6.6 ps −1 . The same data is used to update the measurement of the B s 0 lifetime, τ s = 1.54 −0.13 +0.14 (stat) ± 0.04 (syst) ps.

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.

Results of the measurement of the φ meson parameters with the general purpose detector CMD-2 at the upgraded e + e − collider VEPP-2M at Novosibirsk are presented. This is the first measurement of the four major φ decay modes in a single e + e − experiment. The results based on about 55,600 identified hadronic events are consistent with previous measurements, and have precision comparable to the current world average.

Inclusive π±, K± and\((p,\bar p)\) differential cross-sections in hadronic decays of the Z have been measured as a function ofz=Phadron/Pbeam, the scaled momentum. The results are based on approximately 520 000 events measured by the ALEPH detector at LEP during 1992. Charged particles are identified by their rate of ionization energy loss in the ALEPH Time Projection Chamber. The position, ξ*, of the peak in the ln(1/z) distribution is determined, and the evolution of the peak position with centre-of-mass energy is compared with the prediction of QCD.

We present a study of the global event shape variables thrust and heavy jet mass, of energy-energy correlations and of jet multiplicities based on 250 000 hadronic Z 0 decays. The data are compared to new QCD calculations including resummation of leading and next-to-leading logarithms to all orders. We determine the strong coupling constant α s (91.2 GeV) = 0.125±0.003 (exp) ± 0.008 (theor). The first error is the experimental uncertainty. The second error is due to hadronization uncertainties and approximations in the calculations of the higher order corrections.

We present a study of the inclusive production of neutral pions and charged particles from 112 000 hadronic Z 0 decays. The measured inclusive momentum distributions can be reproduced by parton shower Monte Carlo programs and also by an analytical QCD calculation. Comparing our results to e + e − data between √ s = 9 and 91 GeV, we findfind that the evolution of the spectra with center of mass energy is consistent with the QCD predictions.

We report the results of a laser experiment to search for the parity-nonconserving optical rotation in atomic bismuth. We work at wavelengths close to the 648-nm J=32 — J=52 M1 transition from the ground state. We find R=Im(E1M1)=(+2.7±4.7)×10−8, in disagreement with the theoretical value R=−30×10−8 predicted for this transition on the basis of the Weinberg-Salam model of the weak interactions combined with relativistic central-field atomic theory.

We have found 122 charmed-particle decays among 3855 neutrino interactions located in the fiducial volume of a hybrid emulsion spectrometer installed in the Fermilab wide-band neutrino beam. We obtain an average relative charmed-particle production cross section of σ(ν μ → c μ − ) σ(ν μ →μ − ) =4.9 −0.6 +0.7 % , at an average neutrino energy of 22 GeV. We also obtain a production rate of σ(ν μ → c c ν μ ) σ(ν μ →ν μ ) =0.13 −0.11 +0.31 % , if we assume that there was an undetected muon, a limit of σ(ν μ → c c μ − ) σ(ν μ → c μ − )<3% (90% CL ) can be obtained. Other cross section ratios and limits are also presented.

Using data from the Fermilab 15 ft hydrogen bubble chamber, we have studied inclusive ϱ 0 production in antineutrino-proton charged-current interactions. We measure (0.21 ± 0.03) ϱ 0 /event, corresponding to ϱ 0 / π − =0.12 ± 0.02. As a function of Q 2 and for hadronic masses above a threshold region, the ϱ 0 / π − ratio shows little variation. At least 50% of the ϱ 0 's are consistent with coming from the current fragmentation region. The results agree reasonably well with the predictions of the quark fragmentation model of Feynman and field.

The cross section of the process e+ e- ---> eta gamma has been measured in the 600-1380 MeV c.m. energy range with the CMD-2 detector. The following branching ratios have been determined: B(rho ---> eta gamma) = (3.28 +- 0.37 +- 0.23) 10^{-4}, B(omega ---> eta gamma) = (5.10 +- 0.72 +- 0.34) 10^{-4}, B(phi --> eta gamma) = (1.287 +- 0.013 +- 0.063) 10^{-2}. Evidence for the rho'(1450) ---> eta gamma decay has been obtained for the first time.

Using the $1.9 pb^{-1}$ of data collected with the CMD-2 detector at VEPP-2M the decay mode $\phi \to \eta \gamma$, $\eta \to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$ has been studied. The obtained branching ratio is B($\phi \to \eta \gamma) = (1.18 \pm 0.03 \pm 0.06) %$.

From an analysis of 2275 ν¯p→μ++X0 events at an average Q2 of 4.5 GeV2, there are presented the first measurements, up to one undetermined overall normalization constant, of the x dependence of the proton structure functions using antineutrinos, and of the u and d¯+s¯ quark distributions. The result for u(x) is in good agreement with models based on fits to electron and muon scattering data. With u(x) normalized to those models the absolute antiquark momentum distribution x[d¯x+s¯(x)] in the proton is determined.

An improved measurement of the average b hadron lifetime is performed using a sample of 1.5 million hadronic Z decays, collected during the 1991–1993 runs of ALEPH, with the silicon vertex detector fully operational. This uses the three-dimensional impact parameter distribution of lepton tracks coming from semileptonic b decays and yields an average b hadron lifetime of 1.533 ± 0.013 ± 0.022 ps.