We report a high-precision measurement of the ratio R of the total cross section for e+e−→hadrons to that for e+e−→μ+μ−, at a center-of-mass energy of 29.0 GeV using the MAC detector. The result is R=3.96±0.09. This value of R is used to determine a value of the strong coupling constant αs of 0.23±0.06, nearly independent of fragmentation models. Two different analysis methods having quite different event-selection criteria have been used and the results are in agreement. Particular attention has been given to the study of systematic errors. New higher-order QED calculations are used for the luminosity determination and the acceptance for hadrons.
We have studied the energy-energy correlation in e+e− annihilation into hadrons at √s =29 GeV using the Mark II detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP. We find to O(αs2) that αs=0.158±0.003±0.008 if hadronization is described by string fragmentation. Independent fragmentation schemes give αs=0.10–0.14, and give poor agreement with the data. A leading-log shower fragmentation model is found to describe the data well.
The energy-energy correlation cross section for hadrons produced in electron-positron annihilation at a center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV has been measured with the MAC detector at SLAC. The result is corrected for the effects of detector resolution, acceptance, and initial-state radiation. The correlation is measured in two independent ways on the same data sample: the energy weights and angles are obtained either from the energy flow in the finely segmented total absorption calorimeters or from the momenta of charged tracks in the central drift chamber. This procedure helps reduce systematic errors by cross-checking the effects of the detector on the measurement, particularly important because the corrections depend on complex Monte Carlo simulations. The results are compared with the predictions of Monte Carlo models of complete second-order perturbative quantum chromodynamics and fragmentation, with the following conclusions: (1) fitting the asymmetry for large correlation angles gives values for αS of 0.120±0.006 in perturbation theory, 0.185±0.013 in the Lund string model, and values which vary from 0.105 to 0.140 (±0.01) in the incoherent jet models, depending on the gluon fragmentation scheme and the algorithm used for momentum conservation; and (2) the string fragmentation model provides a satisfactory description of the measured energy-energy correlation cross section, whereas incoherent jet formation does not.
Measurements of pp→μ+μ−+X at s=44 and 62 GeV are compared. The data are taken under identical conditions utilizing clean proton-proton collisions from the CERN intersecting storage rings and confirm scaling to 5%. The observed μ+μ− yield is a factor of 1.6±0.2 larger than estimated from a simple parton model but is consistent with QCD. The pT dependence of the muon pairs agrees well with expectations from QCD.
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