Distributions of event shape variables obtained from 120600 hadronicZ decays measured with the DELPHI detector are compared to the predictions of QCD based event generators. Values of the strong coupling constant αs are derived as a function of the renormalization scale from a quantitative analysis of eight hadronic distributions. The final result, αs(MZ), is based on second order perturbation theory and uses two hadronization corrections, one computed with a parton shower model and the other with a QCD matrix element model.
Average value of the strong coupling constant ALPHA_S based on analysis of the event shape distributions.
Inclusive charged particle and event shape distributions are measured using 321 hadronic events collected with the DELPHI experiment at LEP at effective centre of mass energies of 130 to 136 GeV. These distributions are presented and compared to data at lower energies, in particular to the precise Z data. Fragmentation models describe the observed changes of the distributions well. The energy dependence of the means of the event shape variables can also be described using second order QCD plus power terms. A method independent of fragmentation model corrections is used to determine αs from the energy dependence of the mean thrust and heavy jet mass. It is measured to be: $$←pha _s(133 {⤪ GeV})={0.116}pm {0.007}_{exp-0.004theo}^{+0.005}$$ from the high energy data.
Infrared and collinear safe event shape distributions and their mean values are determined in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 45 and 202 GeV. A phenomenological analysis based on power correction models including hadron mass effects for both differential distributions and mean values is presented. Using power corrections, alpha_s is extracted from the mean values and shapes. In an alternative approach, renormalisation group invariance (RGI) is used as an explicit constraint, leading to a consistent description of mean values without the need for sizeable power corrections. The QCD beta-function is precisely measured using this approach. From the DELPHI data on Thrust, including data from low energy experiments, one finds beta_0 = 7.86 +/- 0.32 for the one loop coefficient of the beta-function or, assuming QCD, n_f = 4.75 +/- 0.44 for the number of active flavours. These values agree well with the QCD expectation of beta_0=7.67 and n_f=5. A direct measurement of the full logarithmic energy slope excludes light gluinos with a mass below 5 GeV.
An analysis of the data collected in 1997 and 1998 with the DELPHI detector at e+e- collision energies close to 183 and 189 GeV was performed in order to extract the hadronic and leptonic fermion-pair cross-sections, as well as the leptonic forward-backward asymmetries and angular distributions. The data are used to put limit on contact interactions between fermions, the exchange of R-parity violating SUSY sneutrinos, Z' bosons and the existence of gravity in extra dimensions.
In a sample of 3.02 million hadronic Z 0 decays collected by the DELPHI detector, 270 J ψ → ℓ + ℓ − candidates have been selected. A search for fully reconstructed B c ± mesons has yielded one B c ± → J ψ π ± candidate, no B c ± → J ψ ℓ ± ν ℓ candidates, and one B c ± → J ψ , π + π − π ± candidate, consistent with expected background in each channel. The following 90% confidence level upper limits are determined: Br(Z 0 → B c ± X) × Br(B c ± → J ψ π ± ) < (1.05 to 0.84) × 10 −4 and Br(Z 0 → B c ± X) × Br(B c ± → J ψ ℓ ± ν ℓ ) < (5.8 to 5.0) × 10 −5 , where the ranges quoted correspond to the range of predicted B c ± lifetimes from 0.4 to 1.4 ps, and Br(Z 0 → B c ± X) × Br(B c ± → J ψ π + π − π ± ) < 1.75 × 10 −4 , constant over the range of predicted B c ± lifetimes.
The production of single photons has been studied in the reaction e+e- -> gamma + invisible particles at centre-of-mass energies of 183 GeV and 189 GeV. A previously published analysis of events with multi-photon final states accompanied by missing energy has been updated with 189 GeV data. The data were collected with the DELPHI detector and correspond to integrated luminosities of about 51 pb^{-1} and 158 pb^{-1} at the two energies. The number of light neutrino families is measured to be 2.84 +/- 0.15(stat) +/- 0.14(syst). The absence of an excess of events beyond that expected from Standard Model processes is used to set limits on new physics as described by supersymmetric and composite models. A limit on the gravitational scale is also determined.
This analysis, based on a sample of 170000 hadronic Z0 decays, provides a measurement of the K ± and p/ p differential cross sections which is compared to string- and cluster fragmentation models. The total multiplicities for K ± and p/ p per hadronic event were found to be: NK = 2.26 ± 0.18 and N p = 1.07 ± 0.14. The positions ξ * of the maxima of the differential cross sections as a function of ξ = ln(1/ x p ) for K ± and p/ p were determined to be 2.63 ± 0.07 and 2.96 ± 0.16 respectively. A comparison of the ξ * values for various identified particles measured at LEP with the prediction of the Modified Leading Logarithm Approximation with Local Parton Hadron Duality model has been performed. The measured ξ * position as a function of the hadron mass, after corrections due to particle decays, is in agreement with the model calculation.
Experimental evidence for the existence of orbitally excited B meson states is presented in an analysis of the Bπ and B ∗ π distribution of Q = m(B ∗∗ ) − m(B (∗) ) − m(π) using Z 0 decay data taken with the DELPHI detector at LEP. The mean Q-value of the decays B ∗∗ → B (∗) π is measured to be 284 ± 5 (stat.) ± 15 (syst.) MeV/c 2 , and the Gaussian width of the signal is 79 ± 5 (stat.) ± 8 (syst.) MeV/c 2 . This signal can be described as a single resonance of mass m = 5732 ± 5 (stat.) ± 20 (syst.) MeV/c 2 and full width Γ = 145 ± 28 MeV/c 2 . The observed shape is also consistent with the production of several broad and narrow states as predicted by the quark model and partly observed in the D-meson sector. The production rate of B ∗∗ per b-jet is found to be 0.27 ± 0.02 (stat.) ± 0.06 (syst.).
An analysis of inclusive production of K0 and the meson resonances K*±(892), ρ0(770),f0(975) andf2(1270) in hadronic decays of the Z0 is presented, based on about 973,000 multihadronic events collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP during 1991 and 1992. Overall multiplicities have been determined as 1.962±0.060 K0 mesons, 0.712±0.067 K*±(892) and 1.21±0.15ρ0(770) per hadronic Z0 decay. The average multiplicities off0(975) for scaled momentum,xp, in the range 0.05≤xp≤0.6 and off2(1270) for 0.05≤xp≤1.0 are 0.098±0.016 and 0.170±0.043 respectively. Thef0(975) and ρ0(770)xp-spectra have similar shapes. Thef2(1270)/ρ0(770) ratio increases withxp. The average multiplicities and the differential cross sections are compared with the JETSET Parton Shower model. The model with default parameters fails to reproduce the experimental K0 momentum spectrum at low momentum, describes the K*±(892) and ρ0(770)xp-spectrum shapes, but significantly overestimates their production rates.
A determination of the partial width Γ c c ̄ of the Z 0 boson into charm quark pairs is presented, based on a total sample of 36 900 Z 0 hadronic decays measured with the DELPHI detector at the LEP collider. The production rate of cc̄ events is derived from the inclusive analysis of charged pions coming from the decay of charmed meson D ∗+ → D 0 π + and D ∗− → D ̄ 0 π − where the π ± is constrained by kinematics to have a low p T with respect to the axis. The probability to produce these π ± from D ∗± decay in cc̄ events is taken to be 0.31 ±_0.05 as measured at √ s =10.55 GeV. The measured relative partial width Γ c c ̄ Γ h = 0.162± 0.030 ( stat. ) ±0.050 ( syst. ) is in good agreement with the standard moel value of 0.171. Together with our previous measurement of the total hadronic width Γ h this implies Γ c c ̄ = 282±53 ( stat. )±88( syst. ) MeV .
Forum