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.

The Λ b polarization in hadronic Z decays is measured in semileptonic decays from the average energies of the charged lepton and the neutrino. In a data sample of approximately 3 million hadronic Z decays collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP between 1991 and 1994, 462 ± 31 Λ b candidates are selected using ( Λπ + )-lepton correlations. From this event sample, the Λ b polarization is measured to be P Λ b = −0.23 −0.20 +0.24 (stat.) −0.07 +0.08 (syst.).

Inclusive π±, K± and\((p,\bar p)\) differential cross-sections in hadronic decays of the Z have been measured as a function ofz=Phadron/Pbeam, the scaled momentum. The results are based on approximately 520 000 events measured by the ALEPH detector at LEP during 1992. Charged particles are identified by their rate of ionization energy loss in the ALEPH Time Projection Chamber. The position, ξ*, of the peak in the ln(1/z) distribution is determined, and the evolution of the peak position with centre-of-mass energy is compared with the prediction of QCD.

A new measurement of the rare, doubly radiative decay eta->pi^0 gamma gamma was conducted with the Crystal Ball and TAPS multiphoton spectrometers together with the photon tagging facility at the Mainz Microtron MAMI. New data on the dependence of the partial decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma), on the two-photon invariant mass squared, m^2(gamma gamma), as well as a new, more precise value for the decay width, Gamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma) = (0.33+/-0.03_tot) eV, are based on analysis of 1.2 x 10^3 eta->pi^0 gamma gamma decays from a total of 6 x 10^7 eta mesons produced in the gamma p -> eta p reaction. The present results for dGamma(eta->pi^0 gamma gamma)/dm^2(gamma gamma) are in good agreement with previous measurements and recent theoretical calculations for this dependence.

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.

Measurements of the tau lepton polarization and forward-backward polarization asymmetry near the Z resonance using the OPAL detector are described. The measurements are based on analyses of tau -> e nu_e nu_tau, tau -> mu nu_mu nu_tau, tau -> pi nu_tau, tau -> rho nu_tau and tau -> a1 nu_tau decays from a sample of 144810 e+e- -> tau+ tau- candidates corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 151 pb-1. Assuming that the tau lepton decays according to V-A theory, we measure the average tau polarization near Ecm = MZ to be <Ptau> = (-14.10 +/- 0.73 +/- 0.55)% and the tau polarization forward-backward asymmetry to be Afb = (-10.55 +/- 0.76 +/- 0.25)%, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Taking into account the small effects of the photon propagator, photon-Z interference and photonic radiative corrections, these results can be expressed in terms of the lepton neutral current asymmetry parameters: Atau = 0.1456 +/- 0.0076 +/- 0.0057, Ae = 0.1454 +/- 0.0108 +/- 0.0036. These measurements are consistent with the hypothesis of lepton universality and combine to give Al = 0.1455 +/- 0.0073. Within the context of the Standard Model this combined result corresponds to sin^2(theta)(lept,effective) = 0.23172 +/- 0.00092. Combing these results with those from the other OPAL neutral current measurements yields a value of sin^2(theta)(lept,effective) = 0.23211 +/- 0.00068.

About 4.4 million hadronic decays of Z bosons, recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of around sqrt(s) = 91.2 GeV, are used to determine the mean charged particle multiplicities for the three light quark flavours. Events from primary u, d, and s quarks are tagged by selecting characteristic particles which carry a large fraction of the beam energy. The charged particle multiplicities are measured in the hemispheres opposite to these particles. An unfolding procedure is applied to obtain these multiplicities for each primary light quark flavour. This yields <n_u> = 17.77 +- 0.51 +0.86 -1.20, <n_d> = 21.44 +- 0.63 +1.46 -1.17, <n_s> = 20.02 +- 0.13 +0.39 -0.37, where statistical and systematic errors are given. The results for <n_u> and <n_d> are almost fully statistically anti-correlated. Within the errors the result is consistent with the flavour independence of the strong interaction for the particle multiplicities in events from the light up, down, and strange quarks.

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.

We report the first observation of e+e- -> Upsilon(1S)pi+pi-, Upsilon(2S)pi+pi-, and first evidence for e+e- -> Upsilon(3S)pi+pi-, Upsilon(1S)K+K-, near the peak of the Upsilon(5S) resonance at sqrt{s}~10.87 GeV. The results are based on a data sample of 21.7 fb^-1 collected with the Belle detector at the KEKB e+e- collider. The observed cross-sections are sigma(Upsilon(1S)pi+pi-) = 1.61+-0.10(stat)+-0.12(sys) pb and sigma(Upsilon(2S)pi+pi-) = 2.35+-0.19(stat)+-0.32(sys) pb. Attributing these signals to the Upsilon(5S) resonance, the partial widths Gamma(Upsilon(5S)->Upsilon(1S)pi+pi-) = 0.59+-0.04(stat)+-0.09(sys) MeV and Gamma(Upsilon(5S)->Upsilon(2S)pi+pi-) = 0.85+-0.07(stat)+-0.16(sys) MeV are inferred. These are much larger than any partial widths for previously observed Upsilon(nS) -> Upsilon(1S)pi+pi-, Upsilon(2S)pi+pi- decays.