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.

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 report the observation of $\e^+e^-\to \phi\eta$ near $\sqrt{s}$ = 10.58 GeV with 6.5 $\sigma$ significance in the $K^+K^-\gamma\gamma$ final state in a data sample of 224 $fb^{-1}$ collected by the BaBar experiment at the PEP-II $e^+e^-$ storage rings. We measure the restricted radiation-corrected cross section to be $\sigma(\e^+e^- \to \phi \eta) =$$2.1\pm 0.4 (\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.1(\mathrm{syst}) \mathrm{fb}$ within the range $|\cos\theta^*| < 0.8$, where $\theta^*$ is the center-of-mass polar angle of the $\phi$ meson. The $\phi$ meson is required to be in the invariant mass range of 1.008 $< m_{\phi} <$ 1.035 \gevcc. The radiation-corrected cross section in the full $\cos\theta^*$ range is extrapolated to be $2.9\pm 0.5 (\mathrm{stat})\pm 0.1(\mathrm{syst}) \mathrm{fb}$.

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.

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 study the processes e+ e- --> 3(pi+pi-)gamma, 2(pi+pi-pi0)gamma and K+ K- 2(pi+pi-)gamma, with the photon radiated from the initial state. About 20,000, 33,000 and 4,000 fully reconstructed events, respectively, have been 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 these data can be compared with the corresponding direct e+e- measurements. From the 3(pi+pi-), 2(pi+pi-pi0) and K+ K- 2(pi+pi-) mass spectra, the cross sections for the processes e+ e- --> 3(pi+pi-), e+ e- --> 2(pi+pi-pi0) and e+ e- --> K+ K- 2(pi+pi-) are measured for center-of-mass energies from production threshold to 4.5 GeV. The uncertainty in the cross section measurement is typically 6-15%. We observe the J/psi in all these final states and measure the corresponding branching fractions.

The e+e- -> p anti-p cross section is determined over a range of p anti-p masses, from threshold to 4.5 GeV/c^2, by studying the e+e- -> p anti-p gamma process. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 232 fb^-1, collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II storage ring, at an e+e- center-of-mass energy of 10.6 GeV. The mass dependence of the ratio of electric and magnetic form factors, |G_E/G_M|, is measured for p anti-p masses below 3 GeV/c^2: its value is found to be significantly larger than 1 for masses up to 2.2 GeV/c^2. We also measure J/psi -> p anti-p and psi(2S) -> p anti-p branching fractions and set an upper limit on Y(4260) -> p anti-p production and decay.

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 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 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.

The process e+e- --> pi+ pi- pi0 gamma has been studied at a center-of-mass energy near the Y(4S) resonance using a 89.3 fb-1 data sample collected with the BaBar detector at the PEP-II collider. From the measured 3pi mass spectrum we have obtained the products of branching fractions for the omega and phi mesons, B(omega --> e+e-)B(omega --> 3pi)=(6.70 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.27)10-5 and B(phi --> e+e-)B(phi --> 3pi)=(4.30 +/- 0.08 +/- 0.21)10-5, and evaluated the e+e- --> pi+ pi- pi0 cross section for the e+e- center-of-mass energy range 1.05 to 3.00 GeV. About 900 e+e- --> J/psi gamma --> pi+ pi- pi0 gamma events have been selected and the branching fraction B(J/psi --> pi+ pi- pi0)=(2.18 +/- 0.19)% has been 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 $X(3872) \to J/\psi\pi^+\pi^-$.

The production of $J/\psi$ mesons in continuum $e^+e^-$ annihilations has been studied with the BABAR detector at energies near the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance, approximately 10.6 GeV. The mesons are distinguished from $J/\psi$ production in B decays through their center-of-mass momentum and energy. We measure the cross section $e^+e^-\to J/\psi X$ to be $2.52\pm 0.21\pm 0.21$ pb: for momentum above 2 GeV/c, it is $1.87\pm 0.10\pm 0.15$ pb. We set a 90% confidence level upper limit on the branching fraction for direct $\Upsilon(4S)$\to J/\psi X$ decays at $4.7\times 10^{-4}$.

Using a data sample with a total integrated luminosity of 10.0 pb$^{-1}$ collected at center-of-mass energies of 2.6, 3.07 and 3.65 GeV with BESII, cross sections for $e^+e^-$ annihilation into hadronic final states ($R$ values) are measured with statistical errors that are smaller than 1%, and systematic errors that are about 3.5%. The running strong interaction coupling constants $\alpha_s^{(3)}(s)$ and $\alpha_s^{(5)}(M_Z^2)$ are determined from the $R$ values.

The cross section for e+e- to pi+ pi- psi(2S) between threshold and \sqrt{s}=5.5 GeV is measured using 673 fb^{-1} of data on and off the \Upsilon(4S) resonance collected with the Belle detector at KEKB. Two resonant structures are observed in the pi+ pi- psi(2S) invariant mass distribution, one at 4361\pm 9\pm 9 MeV/c2 with a width of 74\pm 15\pm 10 MeV/c2, and another at 4664\pm 11\pm 5 MeV/c2 with a width of 48\pm 15\pm 3 MeV/c2, if the mass spectrum is parameterized with the coherent sum of two Breit-Wigner functions. These values do not match those of any of the known charmonium states.

First results of the study of the process e+e- \to 4\pi by the CMD-2 collaboration at VEPP-2M are presented for the energy range 1.05--1.38 GeV. Using an integrated luminosity of 5.8 pb^{-1}, energy dependence of the processes e+e- \to \pi^+\pi^- 2\pi^0 and e+e- \to 2\pi^+ 2\pi^- has been measured. Analysis of the differential distributions demonstrates the dominance of the a_1\pi and \omega\pi intermediate states. Upper limits for the contributions of other alternative mechanisms are also placed.

In experiments with the CMD-2 detector at the VEPP-2M electron-positron collider at Novosibirsk about 150000 $e^+e^-\to\pi^+\pi^-$ events were recorded in the center-of-mass energy range from 0.61 up to 0.96 GeV. The result of the pion form factor measurement with a 1.4% systematic error is presented. The following values of the $\rho$-meson and $\rho-\omega$ interference parameters were found: $M_\rho=(775.28\pm 0.61\pm 0.20) MeV, \Gamma_\rho=(147.70\pm 1.29 \pm 0.40) MeV, \Gamma(\rho\to e^+e^-)=(6.93\pm 0.11\pm 0.10) keV, Br(\omega\to\pi^+\pi^-) = (1.32\pm 0.23)%$.

Production of Sigma- and Lambda(1520) in hadronic Z decays has been measured using the DELPHI detector at LEP. The Sigma- is directly reconstructed as a charged track in the DELPHI microvertex detector and is identified by its Sigma -> n pi decay leading to a kink between the Sigma- and pi-track. The reconstruction of the Lambda(1520) resonance relies strongly on the particle identification capabilities of the barrel Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector and on the ionisation loss measurement of the TPC. Inclusive production spectra are measured for both particles. The production rates are measured to be <N_{Sigma-}/N_{Z}^{had}> = 0.081 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.010, <N_{Lambda(1520)}/N_{Z}^{had}> = 0.029 +/- 0.005 +/- 0.005. The production rate of the Lambda(1520) suggests that a large fraction of the stable baryons descend from orbitally excited baryonic states. It is shown that the baryon production rates in Z decays follow a universal phenomenological law related to isospin, strangeness and mass of the particles.

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.

By analyzing the data sets of 17.3, 6.5 and 1.0 pb$^{-1}$ taken, respectively, at $\sqrt s= 3.773$, 3.650 and 3.6648 GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC collider, we measure the observed cross sections for $e^+e^-\to \pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\pi^0$, $K^+K^-\pi^0\pi^0$, $2(\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0)$, $K^+K^-\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0\pi^0$ and $3(\pi^+\pi^-)\pi^0\pi^0$ at the three energy points. Based on these cross sections we set the upper limits on the observed cross sections and the branching fractions for $\psi(3770)$ decay into these final states at 90% C.L..

K^+K^- production in two-photon collisions has been studied using a large data sample of 67 fb^{-1} accumulated with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e^+e^- collider. We have measured the cross section for the process gamma gamma -> K^+ K^- for center-of-mass energies between 1.4 and 2.4 GeV, and found three new resonant structures in the energy region between 1.6 and 2.4 GeV. The angular differential cross sections have also been measured.

By analyzing the data sets of 17.3 pb$^{-1}$ taken at $\sqrt s= 3.773$ GeV and of 6.5 pb$^{-1}$ taken at $\sqrt s= 3.650$ GeV with the BES-II detector at the BEPC collider, we measure the observed cross sections for the exclusive light hadron final states of $K_S^0K^-\pi^+$, $K_S^0K^-\pi^+\pi^0$, $K_S^0K^-\pi^+\pi^+\pi^-$, $K_S^0K^-\pi^+\pi^+\pi^-\pi^0$, $K_S^0K^-\pi^+\pi^+\pi^+\pi^-\pi^-$ and $K_S^0K^-\pi^+\pi^0\pi^0$ produced in $e^+ e^-$ annihilation at the two energy points. We set the upper limits on the observed cross sections and the branching fractions for $\psi(3770)$ decay to these final states at 90% C.L..

We have studied the e+e- -> omegapi0 cross section in the sqrt(s) interval 1000-1030 MeV using the pi+pi-pi0pi0 and pi0pi0gamma final states with a sample of ~600 pb^-1 collected with the KLOE detector at DAFNE. By fitting the observed interference pattern around M_phi for both final states, we extract the ratio of the decay widths Gamma(omega->pi0gamma)/Gamma(omega->pi+pi-pi0) = 0.0897 +- 0.0016 and derive the branching fractions BR(omega -> pi+pi-pi0)= (90.24 +- 0.19)%, BR(omega -> pi0gamma) = (8.09 +- 0.14)%. The parameters describing the e+e- -> omegapi0 reaction around M_\phi are also used to extract the branching fraction for the OZI and G-parity violating phi -> omegapi0 decay: BR(phi->omegapi0) = (4.4 +- 0.6)x10^-5.

We report the first measurement of the lepton forward-backward asymmetry ${\cal A}_{\rm FB}$ as a function of the squared four-momentum of the dilepton system, $q^2$, for the electroweak penguin process $B \rightarrow X_s \ell^+ \ell^-$ with a sum of exclusive final states, where $\ell$ is an electron or a muon and $X_s$ is a hadronic recoil system with an $s$ quark. The results are based on a data sample containing $772\times10^6$ $B\bar{B}$ pairs recorded at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB $e^+ e^-$ collider. ${\cal A}_{\rm FB}$ for the inclusive $B \rightarrow X_s \ell^+ \ell^-$ is extrapolated from the sum of 10 exclusive $X_s$ states whose invariant mass is less than 2 GeV/$c^2$. For $q^2 > 10.2$ GeV$^2$/$c^2$, ${\cal A}_{\rm FB} < 0$ is excluded at the 2.3$\sigma$ level, where $\sigma$ is the standard deviation. For $q^2 < 4.3$ GeV$^2$/$c^2$, the result is within 1.8$\sigma$ of the Standard Model theoretical expectation.

The production of the tensor mesons f0(1270) and K*0(1430) and the scalar meson S(975) has been observed in e+e− annihilation at 29 GeV center-of-mass energy by use of data obtained with the high-resolution spectrometer at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP. The mean multiplicities for meson momenta greater than 1450 MeV/c are 〈nf0〉=0.11±0.04, 〈nK*0(1430)〉=0.10±0.06, and 〈nS〉=0.05±0.02 per hadronic event. The fragmentation functions of the tensor mesons are in good agreement with the predictions of the Webber cluster model. The data are consistent with a predominant strange-quark content on the S meson.