This paper presents measurements of the inclusive production cross sections of Λ baryons in e+e− annihilations at s=29 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 256 pb−1 collected with the High-Resolution Spectrometer at the SLAC storage ring PEP. Comparisons are made to the predictions of the Lund model. The data are well described with use of a strange-diquark suppression parameter, (usud)(sd), of 0.89 ± 0.10−0.16+0.56, and the measured Λc→Λ+X branching ratio of (23 ± 10)%.
Cross sections are presented for the inclusive production of Λ hyperons in electron-positron annihilations at s=29 GeV based on the full 291-pb−1 sample of data taken in the High Resolution Spectrometer experiment at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP. These results, and the associated correlation analyses, are consistent with the Lund model predictions with the strange diquark suppression ratio δ fixed at 0.59±0.10±0.18, as compared to the standard Lund value of 0.32. The Λ multiplicity has been found to be 0.182±0.020 per event. The opposite-strangeness multiplicity 〈nΛΛ¯〉 has been measured to be 0.046±0.020, whereas the like-strangeness multiplicity 〈nΛΛ+Λ¯Λ¯〉 is 0.009±0.028. A strong correlation is found between Λ's and Λ¯'s; when one is found in an event, the other is found in the same event with a probability that exceeds 50%.
Data from the High Resolution Spectrometer at the SLAC storage ring PEP have been used to study the inclusive production of baryons and mesons. Time-of-flight measurements are used to identify the charged hadrons. Neutral hadrons are identified from effective-mass peaks associated with their decay into two charged particles. Cross sections and other inclusive production characteristics are presented for π±, K±, and K0 (K¯0) mesons, and for the baryons (antibaryons) p (p¯) and Λ (Λ¯). The ratio of the inclusive cross section to the point cross section for the K0 and K¯0 mesons is R(K0,K¯0)=6.15±0.13±0.25, and for Λ and Λ¯, R(Λ,Λ¯)=0.846±0.036±0.085. The neutral-hadron differential cross sections are compared with the predictions of the Lund string model.
The production cross sections for the Λ, Σ0, Ξ−, Σ0 (1385), Ξ0 (1530) and Ω− hyperons have been measured, both in the continuum and in direct ϒ decays. Baryon rates in direct ϒ decays are enhanced by a factor of 2.5 or more compared to the continuum. Such a large baryon enhancement cannot be explained by standard fragmentation models. The strangeness suppression for baryons and mesons turns out to be the same. A strong suppression of spin 3/2 states is observed.