We study the processes $e^+ e^-\to 2(\pi^+\pi^-)\pi^0\gamma$, $2(\pi^+\pi^-)\eta\gamma$, $K^+ K^-\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\gamma$ and $K^+ K^-\pi^+\pi^-\eta\gamma$ with the hard photon radiated from the initial state. About 20000, 4300, 5500 and 375 fully reconstructed events, respectively, are selected from 232 fb$^{-1}$ of BaBar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the effective $e^+ e^-$ center-of-mass energy, so that the obtained cross sections from the threshold to about 5 GeV can be compared with corresponding direct \epem measurements, currently available only for the $\eta\pi^+\pi^-$ and $\omega\pi^+\pi^-$ submodes of the $e^+ e^-\to 2(\pi^+\pi^-)\pi^0$ channel. Studying the structure of these events, we find contributions from a number of intermediate states, and we extract their cross sections where possible. In particular, we isolate the contribution from $e^+ e^-\to\omega(782)\pi^+\pi^-$ and study the $\omega(1420)$ and $\omega(1650)$ resonances. In the charmonium region, we observe the $J/\psi$ in all these final states and several intermediate states, as well as the $\psi(2S)$ in some modes, and we measure the corresponding branching fractions.

We study the processes $e^+ e^-\to K^+ K^- \pi^+\pi^-\gamma$, $K^+K^-\pi^0\pi^0\gamma$ and $K^+ K^- K^+ K^-\gamma$, where the photon is radiated from the initial state. About 34600, 4400 and 2300 fully reconstructed events, respectively, are selected from 232 \invfb of \babar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the effective \epem center-of-mass energy, so that the $K^+ K^- \pi^+\pi^-\gamma$ data can be compared with direct measurements of the $e^+ e^-\to K^+K^- \pipi$ reaction/ no direct measurements exist for the $e^+ e^-\to K^+ K^- \pi^0\pi^0$ or $\epem\to K^+ K^- K^+ K^-$ reactions. Studying the structure of these events, we find contributions from a number of intermediate states, and we extract their cross sections where possible. In particular, we isolate the contribution from $e^+ e^-\to\phi(1020) f_{0}(980)$ and study its structure near threshold. In the charmonium region, we observe the $J/\psi$ in all three final states and several intermediate states, as well as the $\psi(2S)$ in some modes, and measure the corresponding branching fractions. We see no signal for the Y(4260) and obtain an upper limit of $\BR_{Y(4260)\to\phi\pi^+\pi^-}\cdot\Gamma^{Y}_{ee}<0.4 \ev$ at 90% C.L.

This paper reports measurements of processes: e+e- -> gamma KsK+pi-, e+e- -> gamma K+K-pi0, e+e- -> gamma phi eta, and e+e- -> gamma phi pi0. The initial state radiated photon allows to cover the hadronic final state in the energy range from thresholds up to ~4.6 GeV. The overall size of the data sample analyzed is 232 fb-1, collected by the BaBar detector running at the PEP-II e+e- storage ring. From the Dalitz plot analysis of the KsK+pi- final state, moduli and relative phase of the isoscalar and the isovector components of the e+e- -> K K*(892) cross section are determined. Parameters of phi and rho recurrences are also measured, using a global fitting procedure which exploits the interconnection among amplitudes, moduli and phases of the e+e- -> KsK+pi-, K+K-pi0, phi eta final states. The cross section for the OZI-forbidden process e+e- -> phi pi0, and the J/psi branching fractions to KK*(892) and K+K-eta are also measured.

We study the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-\gamma$, with a hard photon radiated from the initial state. About 60,000 fully reconstructed events have been selected from 89 $fb^{-1}$ of BaBar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the effective \epem center-of-mass energy, so that these data can be compared with the corresponding direct $e^+e^-$ measurements. From the $4\pi$-mass spectrum, the cross section for the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-\pi^+\pi^-$ is measured for center-of-mass energies from 0.6 to 4.5 $GeV/c^2$. The uncertainty in the cross section measurement is typically 5%. We also measure the cross sections for the final states $K^+ K^- \pi^+\pi^-$ and $K^+ K^- K^+ K^-$. We observe the $J/\psi$ in all three final states and measure the corresponding branching fractions. We search for X(3872) in $J/\psi (\to\mu^+\mu^-) \pi^+\pi^-$ and obtain an upper limit on the product of the $e^+e^-$ width of the X(3872) and the branching fraction for $X(3872) \to J/\psi\pi^+\pi^-$.

We report a study of the processes e+e- -> eta gamma and e+e- -> etaprime gamma at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV, using a 232 fb^-1 data sample collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II collider at SLAC. We observe 20+6-5 eta gamma and 50+8-7 etaprime gamma events over small backgrounds, and measure the cross sections sigma(e+e- -> eta gamma) =4.5+1.2-1.1(stat)+-0.3(sys) fb and sigma(e+e- -> etaprime gamma)=5.4+-0.8(stat)+-0.3(sys) fb. The corresponding transition form factors at q^2 = 112 GeV^2 are q^2|F_eta(q^2)|=0.229+-0.030+-0.008 GeV, and q^2|F_etaprime(q^2)|=0.251+-0.019+-0.008 GeV, respectively.

We study the processes e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi-gamma, K+ K- pi0pi0gamma, and K+ K- K+ K-gamma, where the photon is radiated from the initial state. About 84000, 8000, and 4200 fully reconstructed events, respectively, are selected from 454 fb-1 of BaBar data. The invariant mass of the hadronic final state defines the \epem center-of-mass energy, so that the K+ K- pi+pi- data can be compared with direct measurements of the e+e- --> K+ K- pi+pi- reaction. No direct measurements exist for the e+e- --> K+ K-pi0pi0 or e+e- --> K+ K-K+ K- reactions, and we present an update of our previous result with doubled statistics. Studying the structure of these events, we find contributions from a number of intermediate states, and extract their cross sections. In particular, we perform a more detailed study of the e+e- --> phi(1020)pipigamma reaction, and confirm the presence of the Y(2175) resonance in the phi(1020) f0(980) and K+K-f0(980) modes. In the charmonium region, we observe the J/psi in all three final states and in several intermediate states, as well as the psi(2S) in some modes, and measure the corresponding product of branching fraction and electron width.

Inclusive production cross sections of $\pi^\pm$, $K^\pm$ and $p\bar{p}$ per hadronic $e^+e^-$ annihilation event in $e^+e^-$ are measured at a center-of-mass energy of 10.54 GeV, using a relatively small sample of very high quality data from the BaBar experiment at the PEP-II $B$-factory at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The drift chamber and Cherenkov detector provide clean samples of identified $\pi^\pm$, $K^\pm$ and $p\bar{p}$ over a wide range of momenta. Since the center-of-mass energy is below the threshold to produce a $B\bar{B}$ pair, with $B$ a bottom-quark meson, these data represent a pure $e^+e^- \rightarrow q\bar{q}$ sample with four quark flavors, and are used to test QCD predictions and hadronization models. Combined with measurements at other energies, in particular at the $Z^0$ resonance, they also provide precise constraints on the scaling properties of the hadronization process over a wide energy range.

We present a measurement of the cross section of the process $e^+e^-\to\pi^+pi^-\psi(2S)$ from threshold up to 8 GeV center-of-mass energy using events containing initial-state radiation, produced at the PEP-II $e^+e^-$ storage rings. The study is based on 298 fb$^{-1}$ of data recorded with the BaBar detector. A structure is observed in the cross-section not far above threshold, near 4.32 GeV. We also investigate the compatibility of this structure with the Y(4260) previously reported by this experiment.

A search for charmonium and other new states is performed in a study of exclusive initial-state-radiation production of D Dbar events from electron-positron annihilations at a center-of-mass energy of 10.58 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 384 fb-1 and was recorded by the BABAR experiment at the PEP-II storage ring. The D Dbar mass spectrum shows clear evidence of the psi(3770) plus other structures near 3.9, 4.1, and 4.4 GeV/c^2. No evidence for Y(4260) -> D Dbar is observed, leading to an upper limit of B(Y(4260) -> D Dbar)/B(Y(4260) -> J/psi pi+ pi-) < 1.0 at 90 % confidence level.

We report e+e- --> b anti-b cross section measurements by the BABAR experiment performed during an energy scan in the range of 10.54 to 11.20 GeV at the PEP-II e+e- collider. A total relative error of about 5% is reached in more than three hundred center-of-mass energy steps, separated by about 5 MeV. These measurements can be used to derive precise information on the parameters of the Y(10860) and Y(11020) resonances. In particular we show that their widths may be smaller than previously measured.