The strong coupling alpha_s(M_Z^2) has been measured using hadronic decays of Z^0 bosons collected by the SLD experiment at SLAC. The data were compared with QCD predictions both at fixed order, O(alpha_s^2), and including resummed analytic formulae based on the next-to-leading logarithm approximation. In this comprehensive analysis we studied event shapes, jet rates, particle correlations, and angular energy flow, and checked the consistency between alpha_s(M_Z^2) values extracted from these different measures. Combining all results we obtain alpha_s(M_Z^2) = 0.1200 \pm 0.0025(exp.) \pm 0.0078(theor.), where the dominant uncertainty is from uncalculated higher order contributions.

We have measured the differential production cross sections as a function of scaled momentum x_p=2p/E_cm of the identified hadron species pi+, K+, K0, K*0, phi, p, Lambda0, and of the corresponding antihadron species in inclusive hadronic Z0 decays, as well as separately for Z0 decays into light (u, d, s), c and b flavors. Clear flavor dependences are observed, consistent with expectations based upon previously measured production and decay properties of heavy hadrons. These results were used to test the QCD predictions of Gribov and Lipatov, the predictions of QCD in the Modified Leading Logarithm Approximation with the ansatz of Local Parton-Hadron Duality, and the predictions of three fragmentation models. Ratios of production of different hadron species were also measured as a function of x_p and were used to study the suppression of strange meson, strange and non-strange baryon, and vector meson production in the jet fragmentation process. The light-flavor results provide improved tests of the above predictions, as they remove the contribution of heavy hadron production and decay from that of the rest of the fragmentation process. In addition we have compared hadron and antihadron production as a function of x_p in light quark (as opposed to antiquark) jets. Differences are observed at high x_p, providing direct evidence that higher-momentum hadrons are more likely to contain a primary quark or antiquark. The differences for pseudoscalar and vector kaons provide new measurements of strangeness suppression for high-x_p fragmentation products.

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Average charged multiplicities have been measured separately in $b$, $c$ and light quark ($u,d,s$) events from $Z~0$ decays measured in the SLD experiment. Impact parameters of charged tracks were used to select enriched samples of $b$ and light quark events, and reconstructed charmed mesons were used to select $c$ quark events. We measured the charged multiplicities: $\bar{n}_{uds} = 20.21 \pm 0.10 (\rm{stat.})\pm 0.22(\rm{syst.})$, $\bar{n}_{c} = 21.28 \pm 0.46(\rm{stat.}) ~{+0.41}_{-0.36}(\rm{syst.})$ $\bar{n}_{b} = 23.14 \pm 0.10(\rm{stat.}) ~{+0.38}_{-0.37}(\rm{syst.})$, from which we derived the differences between the total average charged multiplicities of $c$ or $b$ quark events and light quark events: $\Delta \bar{n}_c = 1.07 \pm 0.47(\rm{stat.})~{+0.36}_{-0.30}(\rm{syst.})$ and $\Delta \bar{n}_b = 2.93 \pm 0.14(\rm{stat.})~{+0.30}_{-0.29}(\rm{syst.})$. We compared these measurements with those at lower center-of-mass energies and with perturbative QCD predictions. These combined results are in agreement with the QCD expectations and disfavor the hypothesis of flavor-independent fragmentation.

We present a measurement of the b-quark inclusive fragmentation function in Z0 decays using a novel kinematic B-hadron energy reconstruction technique. The measurement was performed using 350,000 hadronic Z0 events recorded in the SLD experiment at SLAC between 1997 and 1998. We compared the sacled B-hadron energy distribution with models of b-quark fragmentation and with several ad hoc functional forms. A number of models and functions are excluded by the data. The average scaled energy of weakly-decaying B hadrons was measured to be <x_B>= 0.709 +-0.003 (stat) +-0.003 (syst) +-0.002 (model).

We present improved measurements of the differential production rates of stable charged particles in hadronic Z0 decays, and of charged pions, kaons and protons identified over a wide momentum range using the SLD Cherenkov Ring Imaging Detector. In addition to flavor-inclusive Z0 decays, measurements are made for Z0 decays into light (u, d, s), c and b primary flavors, selected using the upgraded Vertex Detector. Large differences between the flavors are observed that are qualitatively consistent with expectations based upon previously measured production and decay properties of heavy hadrons. These results are used to test the predictions of QCD in the Modified Leading Logarithm Approximation, with the ansatz of Local Parton-Hadron Duality, and the predictions of three models of the hadronization process. The light-flavor results provide improved tests of these predictions, as they do not include the contribution of heavy-hadron production and decay; the heavy-flavor results provide complementary model tests. In addition we have compared hadron and antihadron production in light quark (as opposed to antiquark) jets. Differences are observed at high momentum for all three charged hadron species, providing direct probes of leading particle effects, and stringent constraints on models.

We present a study of differential two jet ratios in multi-hadronic final states produced by e + e − annihilation in the AMY detector at TRISTAN. The data are compared to the predictions of the next-to-leading logarithm parton-shower (NLL PS) Monte Carlo and the O ( α s 2 ) matrix element QCD models. We determine the strong coupling strength α s (57.3 GeV) = 0.130 ± 0.006.

K^+K^- production in two-photon collisions has been studied using a large data sample of 67 fb^{-1} accumulated with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e^+e^- collider. We have measured the cross section for the process gamma gamma -> K^+ K^- for center-of-mass energies between 1.4 and 2.4 GeV, and found three new resonant structures in the energy region between 1.6 and 2.4 GeV. The angular differential cross sections have also been measured.

We have measured pi+pi- and K+K- production in two-photon collisions using 87.7 /fb of data collected with the Belle detector at the asymmetric energy e+e- collider KEKB. The cross sections are measured to high precision in the two-photon center-of-mass energy (W) range between 2.4 GeV < W < 4.1 GeV and angular region |cos theta^{*}| < 0.6. The cross section ratio sigma(gammagamma->K+K-)/sigma(gammagamma->pi+pi-) is measured to be 0.89 +- 0.04(stat) +- 0.15(syst) in the range of 3.0 GeV < W < 4.1 GeV, where the ratio is energy independent. We observe a sin^{-4} theta^{*} behavior of the cross section in the same W range. Production of chi_{c0} and chi_{c2} mesons is observed in both gammagamma -> pi+pi- and gammagamma -> K+K- modes.

We present an analysis of charm quark fragmentation at 10.6 GeV, based on a data sample of 103 fb collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB accelerator. We consider fragmentation into the main charmed hadron ground states, namely \DZ, \DP, \Ds and \LC, as well as the excited states \DSZ and \DSP. The fragmentation functions are important to measure as they describe processes at a low energy scale, where calculations in perturbation theory lead to large uncertainties. Fragmentation functions can also be used as input distributions for Monte Carlo generators. Additionally, we determine the average number of these charmed hadrons produced per B decay at the \Ys resonance and measure the distribution of their production angle in \epem annihilation events and in B decays.

We accumulated e + e − annihilations into multi-hadrons at CM energies between 54.0 and 61.4 GeV with the VENUS detector at TRISTAN. Measured R -ratios are consistent with the standard model using the Z-boson mass; 91.1 GeV/ c 2 . Using two new observables, we searched for a planar four-jet and other multi-jet events resulting from the decay of a charge — 1 3 e b ' quark. Having observed no positive signals, we excluded b' masses between 19.4 and 28.2 GeV/ c 2 with a 95% confidence level, regardless of branching into charged current and loop-induced flavor-changing neutral current decay, including a possible Higgs decay process. The charge + 2 3 e top quark was excluded below f30.2 GeV/ c 2 .

We present the charged-particle multiplicity distributions for e+e− annihilation at center-of-mass energies from 50 to 61.4 GeV. The results are based on a data sample corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 30 pb−1 obtained with the AMY detector at the KEK storage ring TRISTAN. The charged-particle multiplicity distributions deviate significantly from the modified Poisson and pair Poisson distributions, but follow Koba-Nielsen-Olesen scaling and are well reproduced by the LUND parton-shower model.

The ratio R of the total cross section for e+e− annihilation into hadrons to the lowest-order QED cross section for e+e−→μ+μ− has been measured for center-of-mass energies ranging from 50 to 61.4 GeV. If we allow for an overall shift of —4.9%, about 1.5 times our estimated normalization error, the results are consistent with the standard-model predictions.

We have tested extra Z models in the reactions e + e − → μ + μ − , τ + τ − and hadrons in the energy range 50< s <64 GeV using the VENUS detector at the TRISTAN e + e − storage ring. Our data are in good agreement with the standard model prediction ( χ 2 N Df = 2.9 31 ) ). We have obtained 90% confidence-level lower limits of 105, 125 and 231 GeV for the masses of Z Ψ , Z η and Z χ bosons which are expected from the E 6 grand unified theory. We also place a 90% confidence-level lower limit of 426 GeV for the mass of an extra-Z boson whose couplings to quarks and leptons are assumed to be the same as those for the standard Z boson. Our results exceed the previous experimental limits from the p p collider experiments, although there have been some combined analyses reporting the limits better than those obtained in the present analysis.

We present the general properties of multihadron final states produced by e+e− annihilation at center-of-mass energies from 52 to 57 GeV in the AMY detector at the KEK collider TRISTAN. Global shape, inclusive charged-particle, and particle-flow distributions are presented. Our measurements are compared with QCD+fragmentation models that use either leading-logarithmic parton-shower evolution or QCD matrix elements at the parton level, and either string or cluster fragmentation for hadronization.

The total hadronic cross section in e + e − annihilation has been measured at s = 57.77 GeV using 290 pb −1 data sample collected with the VENUS detector at KEK TRISTAN. The cross section obtained is 140.3 ±1.8 pb for s ′/ s ≥0.5, where s ′ is the square of the invariant mass of the final state hadrons. The present result together with the recent results from the LEP collaborations is used to determine the hadronic γ − Z 0 interference parameter, j tot had , to be 0.196±0.083. The result is in good agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 0.220.

The total cross section for the process of the e + e - annihilation into hadrons has been measured at the centre-of-mass energies of 50 GeV and 52 GeV and a search has been made for new heavy quarks. The ratios R = σ ( e + e - → hadrons )/ σ point ( e + e - → μ + μ - ) obtained are 4.4±0.5 at 50 GeV and 4.7±0.3 at 52 GeV, respectively. An additional systematic uncertainty is 10%. From the event shape analysis we found no evidence for a new quark with charge 2 3 e .

The polarization of tau leptons in the reaction e+ e- --> tau+ tau- has been measured using a e+e- collider, TRISTAN, at the center-of-mass energy of 58 GeV. From the kinematical distributions of daughter particles in tau --> e nu nu-bar, mu nu nu-bar, rho nu or pi(K) nu decays, the average polarization of tau- and its forward-backward asymmetry have been evaluated to be 0.012 +- 0.058 and 0.029 +- 0.057, respectively.

Charged-particle multiplicity was studied in e + e − annihilation at s = 57.8 GeV using the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. The average multiplicity was 〈 n ch 〉 = 17.64± 0.05(stat.) ± 0.41(syst.). It was found that the multiplicity depends on the thrust ( T ) of an event. From extrapolating this relation to T = 2 3 , the multiplicity for three-fold symmetric events was estimated to be 〈n ch 〉 T = 2 3 = 23.50 −1.45 +1.25 . From this, the multiplicity ratio between gluon- and quark-jet was estimated to be r g q = 1.46 −0.13 +0.09 without any possible bias from jet clustering.

The strong coupling constant α s was determined from analyses of the thrust, heavy jet mass and, differential 2-jet rate, using e + e - hadronic events at s = 58 GeV with the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. The NLLjet Monte Carlo simulation (NLLjet) and analytic formulae based on resummation up to the next-to-leading logarithms combined with O ( α 2 s ) calculations were used to evaluate α s . The average α s values at Q 2 = (58 GeV) 2 from the analyses are α s = 0.125 ± 0.009 for NLLjet and α s = 0.132 ± 0.008 for the resummed analytic formulae.

Inclusive momentum spectra are measured for all charged particles and for each of $\pi~{\pm}$, $K~{\pm}$, $K~0/\overline{K~0}$, and $p/\overline{p}$ in hadronic events produced via $e~+e~-$ annihilation at $\sqrt{s}$=58GeV . The measured spectra are compared with QCD predictions based on the modified leading log approximation(MLLA). The MLLA model reproduces the measured spectra well. The energy dependence of the peak positions of the spectra is studied by comparing the measurements with those at other energies. The energy dependence is also well described by the MLLA model.

The total hadronic cross section in e + e − annihilation was measured at s =5.77 GeV to be σ h = 143.6 ± 1.5 (stat) ± 3.5 (sys) pb with only the QED corrections. The measurement was based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 90.8 pb −1 accumulated by the TOPAZ detector at TRISTAN. Our data point put stringent constraints on the size of the γ - Z 0 interference and the Z 0 mass. Combining our data with the OPAL data at LEP, we obtained the coefficient of the interference and the Z 0 mass to be J had = 0.10 ± 0.26 and M z = 91.151 ± 0.008 GeV, respectively, in a model-independent analysis.

The production of $J/\psi$ mesons in continuum $e^+e^-$ annihilations has been studied with the BABAR detector at energies near the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance, approximately 10.6 GeV. The mesons are distinguished from $J/\psi$ production in B decays through their center-of-mass momentum and energy. We measure the cross section $e^+e^-\to J/\psi X$ to be $2.52\pm 0.21\pm 0.21$ pb: for momentum above 2 GeV/c, it is $1.87\pm 0.10\pm 0.15$ pb. We set a 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction for direct $\Upsilon(4S)$\to J/\psi X$ decays at $4.7\times 10^{-4}$.

We carried out the energy scan between E CM = 58 and 60 GeV at the TRISTAN e + e − collider to search for the possible narrow resonance suggested by the L3 experiment at LEP. The total cross sections are measured for γγ, multihadron, e + e − and μ + μ − production at ten energy points covering this energy range almost uniformly. The results are in good agreement with the Standard Model predictions, and 95% confidence level upper limits are set to Γ ee × BR of the hypothetical scalar and tensor resonances.

We report on a high statistics measurement of the total and differential cross sections of the process gamma gamma -> pi^+ pi^- in the pi^+ pi^- invariant mass range 0.8 GeV/c^2 < W < 1.5 GeV/c^2 with 85.9 fb^{-1} of data collected at sqrt{s}=10.58 GeV and 10.52 GeV with the Belle detector. A clear signal of the f_0(980) resonance is observed in addition to the f_2(1270) resonance. An improved 90% confidence level upper limit Br.(eta'(958) -> pi^+ pi^-) < 2.9 x 10^{-3} is obtained for P- and CP-violating decay of the eta'(958) meson using the most conservative assumption about the interference with the background.