Using the solenoidal magnetic detector PLUTO, we have measured the total cross section for e + e − annihilation into hadrons. Results are presented for center of mass energies between 3.6 and 4.8 GeV, and in the regions of the J ψ (3.1) and ψ(3.7) resonances. We also present results for the 2 prong cross section in the energy range 3.6 to 4.8 GeV.
We have measured the production cross section for K s 0 in e + e − annihilation from 3.6 to 5.0 GeV center of mass energy. A substantial increase of the K s 0 yield is observed around 4 GeV in qualitative agreement with the charm hypothesis.
The inclusive production of π± andK± mesons and of protons and antiprotons ine+e− annihilation has been measured at c.m. energies ofW=14, 22 and 34GeV. Using time of flight measurements and Cerenkov counters the full momentum range has been covered. Differential cross sections and total particle yields are given. At particle momenta of 0.4 GeV/c more than 90% of the charged hadrons are pions. With increasing momentum the fraction of pions among the charged hadrons decreases. AtW=34 GeV and a momentum of 5 GeV/c the particle fractions are approximately π±:K±:p,\(\bar p = 0.55:0.3:0.15\). On average an event atW=34 GeV contains 10.3±0.4π±, 2.0±0.2K± and 0.8±0.1p,\(\bar p\). In addition, we present results on baryon correlations using a sample of events where two or more protons and/or antiprotons are observed in the final state.
We report on an analysis of the multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced ine+e− annihilation into hadrons at c.m. energies between 14 and 46.8 GeV. The charged multiplicity distributions of the whole event and single hemisphere deviate significantly from the Poisson distribution but follow approximate KNO scaling. We have also studied the multiplicity distributions in various rapidity intervals and found that they can be well described by the negative binomial distribution only for small central intervals. We have also analysed forward-backward multiplicity correlations for different energies and selections of particle charge and shown that they can be understood in terms of the fragmentation properties of the different quark flavours and by the production and decay of resonances. These correlations are well reproduced by the Lund string model.
e + e − annihilation into hadrons was studied at CM energies between 39.8 and 45.2 GeV and a search was made for new heavy quarks. No evidence was found for the existence of a narrow state excluding the possible existence of the lowest vector toponium state in this mass range. A search for continuum production of heavy quarks led to lower mass limits for new quarks of 22.0 GeV ( e Q = 2 3 ) and 21.0 GeV ( e Q = 1 3 ). Quarks are found to be pointlike, the corresponding mass parameter being larger than 288 GeV. A fit of the QCD and the electroweak contributions to R = σ tot / σ μμ yielded sin 2 θ W = 0.30 −0.07 +0.23 .
We have observed ϱ 0 production in e + e − annihilation to hadrons at high energies. The differential cross section at a centre of mass energy W , of 34 GeV, is presented. In the range 0.2< x < 0.7, we measure 0.33 ± 0.06 (stat.) ± 0.07 (syst.), 0.22 ± 0.06 ± 0.05 and 0.22 ± 0.02 ± 0.05 ϱ 0 /event at W = 14, 22 and 34 GeV respectively.
We present evidence for the production of Ξ· − , Ξ − in e + e − annihilation into hadrons. Our measurements yields: 0.026 ± 0.008 (stat.) ± 0.009 (syst.) Ξ − , Ξ − per hadronic event at W ∼ 34 GeV. Using our previous measurements of Λ, Λ and p, p production we obtain the relative yields (Ξ − , Ξ − /(Λ, Λ = 0.087 ± 0.03 ( stat. ) ± 0.03 ( syst. ) and (Ξ − , Ξ − /( p , p = 0.033 ± 0.011 ( stat. ) ± 0.011 ( syst. ) .
The scale cross section s d σ d x p for inclusive charged-particle production in e + e − annihilation has been studied for c.m. energies W between 12.0 and 36.7 GeV. Scale breaking is observed. For x p >0.2 the cross section decreases by ≈20% when W increases from 14 to 35 GeV. The production angular distribution was used to separate the longitudinal and transverse cross-section contributions and to determine the ratio of the structure functions m W 1 and v W 2 .
Production of the F meson by e + e − annihilation at high energies has been obsrved in the ϕπ final state with a mass of 1.975 ± 0.009 ± 0.010 GeV and a width consistent with the mass resolution. The yield of F production times branching ratio relative to μ pair production is R F ( x ⩾ 0.3) B (F ± → ϕπ ± ) = 0.061 ± 0.012 ± 0.018.
Jet properties ine+e− annihilation at center of mass energies of 14, 22, 35 and 43.7 GeV were studied with the data collected in the TASSO detector at PETRA, using the same evaluation procedures for all the energies. The total hadronic cross section ratio for the center of mass energy interval 39–47 GeV was determined to be ℛ=4.11±0.05 (stat)±0.18(syst.) at\(\langle \sqrt s \rangle= 43 - 7\) GeV. Corrected distributions of global shape variables are presented as well as the inclusive charged particle distributions for scaled momentum and transverse momentum. The center of mass energy evolution of the average sphericity, thrust, aplanarity and particle momentum is shown.