A search for the neutral Higgs boson in the processes e + e − → Z → H 0 γ → q q γ and e + e − → Z → Z ∗ H 0 → q q γγ has been performed using 2.8 million hadronic Z decays collected with the L3 detector at LEP from 1991 through 1994. No evidence for these processes has been observed. Upper limits at 95% confidence level for the corresponding cross sections have been set and the results have been compared with theoretical predictions beyond 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.

We report on the first measurements of e + e − annihilations into hadrons and lepton pairs at centre-of-mass energies between 130 GeV and 140 GeV. In a total luminosity of 5 pb −1 collected with the L3 detector at LEP we select 1577 hadronic and 401 lepton-pair events. The measured cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries agree well with the Standard Model predictions.

We have studied the process e<sup loc="post">+</sup>e<sup loc="post">−</sup> → nγ (n ≥ 2) at an average center-of-mass energy of 133 GeV using the L3 detector at LEP. For an integrated luminosity of 4.95 pb<sup loc="post">−1</sup> we find one γγγγ(γ) final state with only hard photons. The rates of both γγγ and γγ events are consistent with QED expectations. The cross section of the reaction e<sup loc="post">+</sup>e<sup loc="post">−</sup> → γγ(γ) in the polar range 16° &lt; θγ < 164° is measured to be 22.6 ± 2.2 pb. Decays into photons of narrow scalar resonances with masses between 90 and 130 GeV are not observed. The observation of the event with four energetic photons is consistent with QED although the kinematic configuration of the photons is atypical.

We present a study of the structure of hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at center-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5 pb −1 collected during the high energy run of 1995. The shapes of the event shape distributions and the energy dependence of their mean values are well reproduced by QCD models. From a comparison of the data with resummed O (α s 2 ) QCD calculations, we determine the strong coupling constant to be α s (133 GeV) = 0.107 ± 0.005(exp) ± 0.006(theor).

The inclusive production of η mesons has been studied using 1.6 million hadronic Z decays collected with the L3 detector. The η multiplicity per event, the multiplicity for two-jet and three-jet events separately, and the multiplicity in each jet have been measured and compared with the predictions of different Monte Carlo programs. The momentum spectra of η in each jet have also been measured. We observe that the measured η momentum spectrum in quark-enriched jets agrees well with the Monte Carlo prediction while in gluon-enriched jets it is harder than that predicted by the Monte Carlo models.

We present a measurement of the hadronic structure function F 2 γ ( x , Q 2 ) of the photon in the Q 2 range from 10 to 100 GeV 2 . Data were taken with the PLUTO detector at the e + e - storage ring PETRA. This measurement and previous PLUTO measurements in the Q 2 range of 1.5 to 16 GeV 2 are compared with higher order QCD calculations. The structure function is consistent with the predicted log Q 2 behaviour when charm contributions are subtracted. The x dependence can be well described for 0.1 < x < 0.9 by the regularization scheme of Antoniadis and Grunberg. Within their scheme the data yield a value of Λ MS = 183 + 65/ −40( stat. ) + 46/ −36( sys. ) MeV for the QCD scale parameter.

A search for single photons, produced in e + e − collisions together with particles interacting only weakly with matter, has been performed using the CELLO detector at the PETRA storage ring. We report on results from data taken at 35 GeV < √ s <46.57 GeV. An upper limit of 8.7 (90% CL) on the number of light neutrino species is set. Combining our result with published results from other e + e − experiments the number of light neutrinos is limited to N v < 4.6 at 90% CL. We also set lower limits on the masses of supersymmetric particles.

The differential cross section of the reactione+e−→e+e− at a c.m. energy of 34.7 GeV has been measured. The result, together with our previously measurede+e−→α+α− data, are compared with the standard model predictions. We obtain for the weak neutral current couplings the valuesgv2=0.09×0.06,ga2=0.38×0.08. A fit of the Weinberg mixing angle gives the valuegv2=0.09×0.06,ga2=0.038×0.08. The data are also used to set limits on possible deviations from the pointlike structure of leptons. An upper limit for thee+e− coupling to a heavy spin 0 boson is also given.

We have measured the cross section of four charged pion production in photon-photon interactions in the invariant mass range 1.0≦Wγγ≦3.2 GeV and up toQ2=16 GeV2. For 1.2 GeV≦Wγγ≦1.7 GeV the process is dominated by ρ0ρ0 production with a rapid rise in cross section around 1.2 GeV, well below the nominal ρ0ρ0 threshold. The observed distributions in the two particle masses and in the production and decay angles are well described by an incoherent sum of the phase-space subprocesses γγ →ρ0ρ0, →ρ0π+π−, and →π+π−π+π−. A spin-parity analysis of the ρ0ρ0 system showsJP=2+ to dominate, although 0+ is also possible forWγγ≦1.4 GeV. Negative partity states are excluded.

The reactions e + e − →γγγ and e + e − →γγγγ have been studied at center-of-mass energies between 35 and 46.8 GeV with an integrated luninosity of about 130 pb −1 accumulated with the CELLO detector at PETRA. The measurements are compared to QED calculations up to third and fourth orders of perturbation theory. Excellent agreement is observed.

In the analysis of the reactione+e−→e+e−KS0Ks0 clear evidence for exclusive γγ→f2′ resonance production is observed. The productΓγγ ·B(f2′→K\(\bar K\)) is measured to be 0.10−0.03−0.02+0.04+0.03 keV independent of ana priori assumption on the helicity structure. Our data are consistent with a pure helicity 2 contribution and we derive an upper limit for the ratioΓγγ(0)/Γγγ. The absence of events in the mass region around 1.3 GeV clearly proves destructivef2−a2 interference and allows to measure the relative phases betweenf2,a2 andf2′. Upper limits on the production of the glueball candidate statesf2(1720) andX(2230) as well as theKS0KS0-continuum are given.

The e + e − → μ + μ − reaction has been studied at centre of mass energies ranging between 38.3 abd 46.8 GeV with the CELLO detector at PETRA. We present results on the cross section and the charge asymmetry for this channel. Combining all the data at the average energy 〈 s 〉=43 GeV we obtain R μμ =〈 σ μμ / σ 0 〉=0.98±0.04±0.04, 〈 A μμ 〉=(−14.1±3.7±1.0)%, where σ 0 is the QED cross section and A μμ is the charge asymmetry corrected for pure radiative effects. These results are in good agreement with the expected values of R μμ =1.01 and A μμ =−14.5% at that energy.

A search for the reactionsγγ→ωω andγγ→ρ0ω has been carried out at an averagee+e− CM energy of 34.6 GeV with an integrated luminosity of 45 pb−1. Upper limits are set for these two channels over the γγ CM Energy range of 1.6 to 2.5 GeV. The cross section is determined for the exclusive channelγγ→π+2π−π0.

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We have measured the total normalized cross section R for the process e + e − → hadrons at centre-of-mass energies between 14.0 and 46.8 GeV based on an integrated luminosity of 60.3 pb −1 . The data are well described by the standard SU(3) c ⊗SU(2) L ⊗U(1) model with the production of the five known quarks. No open production of a sixth quark with charge 2/3 or 1/3 occurs below a centre-of-mass energy of 46.6 or 46.3 GeV, respectively. A fitting procedure which takes the correlations between measurements into account was used to determine the electroweak mixing angle sin 2 θ w and the strong coupling constant α s ( S ) in second-order QCD. We applied this procedure to the CELLO data and in addition included the data from other experiments at PETRA and PEP. Both fits give consistent results. The fit to the combined data yields α s (34 2 GeV 2 ) = 0.165±0.030, and sin 2 θ w = 0.236±0.020. Fixing sin 2 θ w at the world average value of 0.23 yields α s (34 2 GeV 2 ) = 0.169±0.025.

We have studied 419 τ pair events produced in the reactione+e−→τ+ τ− at a c.m. energy of 34.6 GeV. We measure the cross section and angular distribution, as well as the decay branching ratios. The production characteristics are consistent with the Standard Electroweak Model predictions of γ andZ0 interference. The branching ratios are generally consistent with the τ decaying according to standard weak interaction principles, but we observe somewhat more decays resulting in single charged hadrons plus neutrals than are predicted by present theory.

We have studied the reactions e + e − → e + e − , e + e − → γγ , e + e − → μ + μ − , and e + e − → τ + τ − in the centre-of-mass (CM) energy range from 39.8 to 45.2 GeV using the CELLO detector at PETRA. Upper limits on the partial widths for new spin 0 bosons with masses both within and above the energy range covered are determined. No evidence for contributions of such new particles has been observed up to the highest PETRA energies in a model independent way. Under the assumptions of recently suggested models relating the existence of spin 0 bosons to the radiative width Γ τ of the Z 0 we exclude such bosons at the 95% confidence level for masses below the Z 0 -mass if Γ τ > 20 MeV.

We present high statistics measurements of the energy-energy correlation (EEC) and its related asymmetry (AEEC) ine+e− annihilation at a c.m. energy of 34.6 GeV. We find that the energy dependence as well as the large angle behaviour of the latter are well described by perturbative QCD calculations toOα(s2). Non-perturbative effects are estimated with the help of fragmentation models in which different jet topologies are separated using (ɛ, δ) cuts, and found to be small. The extracted values of\(\Lambda _{\overline {MS} }\) lie between 100 and 300 MeV.

We present an experimental study of jetproduction in photon-photon interactions for 0.1≲Q2≲120 GeV2 and jet transverse momentum,pT, up to 5 GeV/c. At alQ2, the data show a highpT, tail, characteristic of a point-like interaction. The jet production cross-section approaches the quarkparton model (QPM) expectation as either jetpT orQ2 increases. Overall, the data are well described in both total cross-section and event topology by the sum of a vector-dominance model and a point-like interaction, represented by the QPM.

We have measured the reaction γγ → π + π − π 0 using the PLUTO detector at PETRA. A pronounced enhancement is seen in the π + π − π 0 mass distribution corresponding to the A 2 meson. The event configuration in this enhancement favors a 2 + spin-parity assignment. The value of Γ γγ =1.06 ±0.18±0.19 keV obtained for the two-photon decay width of the A 2 agrees with previous measurements and with quark model predictions.

The total photon-photon cross section for the production of hadrons, σ γγ ( W , Q 2 ), has been measured in the single-tag condition for 0.1 < Q 2 < 1.0 GeV 2 and 1.5 < W < GeV. The results are based on 2929 multihadron events obtained with the PLUTO detector at PETRA. The Q 2 dependence of σ γγ average over W can be described by GVDM. The dependence of σ γγ on the mass W of the hadronic final state has been extracted at Q 2 = 0.44 GeV 2 by unfolding the effects of experimental resolution and acceptance. The cross section is found to rise at small W . The result is compared with VDM and the parton model.

A measurement of the γγ total cross section, σγγ(Q2W), is presented for theQ2 range 0.1 to 100 GeV2, and for the massW of the hadronic final state between 1.5 and 10 GeV. The dependence of σγγ on bothQ2 andW is measured. The results are compared with theoretical predictions. It is found that the data are well described by a sum of quarkparton model and vector dominance contributions.

The processγγπ+π− has been measured with complete particle identification. Cross-sections are presented from near threshold up to the region of thef(1270). In the mass range 0.5–0.7 GeV, crosssections are lower than the Born term predictions and show no evidence for an ε(600). The two-photon width of thef(1270) is found to be in agreement with previous results.

The total e + e − annihilation onto hadron has been measured at CM energies between 33.00 and 36.72 GeV and between 38.66 and 46.78 GeV in steps of 20 and 30 MeV respectively. The average of the ratio R = σ ( e + e − → hadrons )/ σ is 〈 R 〉=3.85±0.12 and 〈 R 〉=4.04±0.10 for the two energy ranges. The systematic error on 〈 R 〉 is 0.31. Both values are consistent with the expectation for the known coloured quarks u, d, s, c and b. No evidence was found for the production of new quarks. If the largest fluctuation in R is interpreted as a narrow resonance, it corresponds to a product of the electronic width and the hadronic branching ratio Γ ee B had >2.9 keV at the 95% confidence level, well below the value expected for the toponium vector ground state with charge 2 3 e . The observed number of aplanar final states rules out the continuum production of a a new heavy flavour with pointlike cross section up to a CM energy of 45.4 GeV for a quarck charge of 1 3 e . and up to 46.6 GeV for 2 3 e at the 95% confidence level.