We present a measurement of the average b-hadron lifetime τ b at the e + e − collider LEP. Using hadronic Z decays collected in the period from 1991 to 1994, two independent analyses have been performed. In the first one, the b-decay position is reconstructed as a secondary vertex of hadronic b-decay particles. The second analysis is an updated measurement of τ b using the impact parameter of leptons with high momentum and high transverse momentum. The combined result is τ b =[1549±9 (stat) ±15 (syst)] fs . In addition, we measure the average charged b-decay multiplicity 〈 n b 〉 and the normalized average b-energy 〈 x E 〉 b at LEP to be 〈n b 〉=4.90±0.04 (stat)±0.11 (syst), 〈x E 〉 b =0.709±0.004 (stat+syst).
We present results obtained from a study of the structure of hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 55.3 pb −1 . The distributions of event shape variables and the energy dependence of their mean values are measured. From a comparison with resummed O ( α s 2 ) QCD calculations, we determine the strong coupling constant α s (183 GeV )=0.1086 ± 0.0026 (exp) ± 0.0054 (th) . The charged particle multiplicity distribution and momentum spectrum are studied and the energy dependence of the peak position of the ξ (=−ln x p ) distribution is compared with lower energy measurements and QCD expectations.
These data are superceded by the analysis presented in Acciarri et al PL B489,65.
Results are presented from a study of the structure of high energy hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at sqrt(s)>192 GeV. The distributions of several event shape variables are compared to resummed O(alphaS^2) QCD calculations. We determine the strong coupling constant at three average centre-of-mass energies: 194.4, 200.2 and 206.2 GeV. These measurements, combined with previous L3 measurements at lower energies, demonstrate the running of alphaS as expected in QCD and yield alphaS(mZ) = 0.1227 +- 0.0012 +- 0.0058, where the first uncertainty is experimental and the second is theoretical.
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.
We present a study of the structure of hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at LEP at the center of mass energies of 161 and 172 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 21.25 pb −1 collected during the high energy runs of 1996. The distributions of event shape variables 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 at the two energies. Combining this with our earlier measurements we find that the strong coupling constant decreases with increasing energy as expected in QCD.
The structure functions of real and virtual photons are derived from cross section measurements of the reaction e^+e^ -> e^+e^- + hadrons at LEP. The reaction is studied at \sqrt{s} ~ 91 GeV with the L3 detector. One of the final state electrons is detected at a large angle relative to the beam direction, leading to Q^2 values between 40 GeV^2 and 500 GeV^2. The other final state electron is either undetected or it is detected at a four-momentum transfer squared P^2 between 1 GeV^2 and 8 GeV^2. These measurements are compared with predictions of the Quark Parton Model and other QCD based models.
We have studied the structure of hadronic events with a hard, isolated photon in the final state (e + e − → Z → hadrons + γ) in the 3.6 million hadronic events collected with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies around 91 GeV. The centre-of-mass energy of the hadronic system is in the range 30 GeV to 86 GeV. Event shape variables have been measured at these reduced centre-of-mass energies and have been compared with the predictions of different QCD Monte Carlo programs. The event shape variables and the energy dependence of their mean values are well reproduced by QCD models. We fit distributions of several global event shape variables to resummed O (α s 2 ) calculations to determine the strong coupling constant α s over a wide range of energies. We find that the strong coupling constant α s decreases with increasing energy, as expected from QCD.
The reactions gamma gamma -> pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^- and gamma gamma -> pi^+pi^0pi^-pi^0 are studied with the L3 detector at LEP in a data sample collected at centre-of-mass energies from 161GeV to 209GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 698/pb. A spin-parity-helicity analysis of the rho^0 rho^0 and rho^+ rho^- systems for two-photon centre-of-mass energies between 1GeV and 3GeV shows the dominance of the spin-parity state 2+ with helicity 2. The contribution of 0+ and 0- spin-parity states is also observed, whereas contributions of 2- states and of a state with spin-parity 2+ and zero helicity are found to be negligible.
Spin parity analysis fits for RHO0 RHO0.
Spin parity analysis fits for RHO+ RHO-.
We have measured the probability, n(g->cc~), of a gluon splitting into a charm-quark pair using 1.7 million hadronic Z decays collected by the L3 detector. Two independent methods have been applied to events with a three-jet topology. One method relies on tagging charmed hadrons by identifying a lepton in the lowest energy jet. The other method uses a neural network based on global event shape parameters. Combining both methods, we measure n(g->cc~)= [2.45 +/- 0.29 +/- 0.53]%.
We present results obtained from a study of the structure of hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at various centre-of-mass energies. The distributions of event shape variables and the energy dependence of their mean values are measured from 30GeV to 189GeV and compared with various QCD models. The energy dependence of the moments of event shape variables is used to test a power law ansatz for the non-perturbative component. We obtain a universal value of the non-perturbative parameter alpha_0 = 0.537 +/- 0.073. From a comparison with resummed O(alpha_s^2) QCD calculations, we determine the strong coupling constant at each of the selected energies. The measurements demonstrate the running of alpha_s as expected in QCD with a value of alpha_s(m_Z) = 0.1215 +/- 0.0012 (exp) +/- 0.0061 (th).
Forum