Measurements are presented of the inclusive cross section for K ∗ (892) ± production in hadronic decays of the Z 0 using a sample of about half a million events recorded with the OPAL experiment at LEP. Charged K ∗ mesons are reconstructed in the decay channel K 0 S π ± . A mean rate of 0.72±0.02±0.08 K ∗ mesons per hadronic event is found. Comparison of the results with predictions of the JETSET and HERWIG models shows that JETSET overestimates the K ∗± production cross section while HERWIG is consistent with the data.

A study of b quark hadronisation is presented using inclusively reconstructed B hadrons in about four million hadronic Z decays recorded in 1992-2000 with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data are compared to different theoretical models, and fragmentation function parameters of these models are fitted. The average scaled energy of weakly decaying B hadrons is determined to be <xe>=0.7193+-0.0016(stat)+0.0036-0.0031(syst)

The production of Jψ mesons in Z0 decays is studied using 3.6 million hadronic events recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP. The inclusive Z0 to Jψ and b-quark to Jψ branching ratios are measured from the total yield of Jψ mesons, identified from their decays into lepton pairs. The Jψ momentum distribution is used to study the fragmentation of b-quarks. The production rate of ψ′ mesons, identified from their decays into a Jψ and a π+π− pair, is measured as well. The following results are obtained: ${Br(Z^{0}⌝ghtarrow {⤪ J}/ i X)=(3.9pm 0.2pm 0.3)cdot 10^{-3} {⤪ and} ↦op Br(Z^0⌝ghtarrow  i ^⌕ime X)=(1.6pm 0.3pm 0.2)cdot 10^{-3}, }$ where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Finally the Jψ sample is used to reconstruct exclusive b-hadron decays and calculate the corresponding b-hadron branching ratios and masses.

Helicity density matrix elements for inclusive K*(892)^0 mesons from hadronic Z^0 decays have been measured over the full range of K^*0 momentum using data taken with the OPAL experiment at LEP. A preference for occupation of the helicity zero state is observed at all scaled momentum x_p values above 0.3, with the matrix element rho_00 rising to 0.66 +/- 0.11 for x_p > 0.7. The values of the real part of the off-diagonal element rho_1-1 are negative at large x_p, with a weighted average value of -0.09 +/- 0.03 for x_p > 0.3, in agreement with new theoretical predictions based on Standard Model parameters and coherent fragmentation of the qq(bar) system from the Z^0 decay. All other helicity density matrix elements measured are consistent with zero over the entire x_p range. The K^*0 fragmentation function has also been measured and the total rate determined to be 0.74 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.02 K*(892)^0 mesons per hadronic Z^0 decay.

The production rates of the $J_{P}={1⩈er 2}^{+}$ octet Σ baryons in hadronic Z0 decays have been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The inclusive production rates per hadronic Z0 decay of the three isospin states (including the respective antiparticle) have been separately measured for the first time: $άtrix {n_{Sigma^{+}}=0.099pm 0.008pm 0.013ŗ n_{Sigma^{0}}=0.071pm 0.012pm 0.013ŗ n_{Sigma^{-}}=0.083pm 0.006pm 0.009ŗ}$ where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. Differential cross-sections are also presented for the Σ+ and Σ− and compared with JETSET and HERWIG predictions. Assuming full isospin symmetry, the average inclusive rate is: ${1⩈er 3}[n_{Sigma^{+}+Sigma^{0}+Sigma^{-}}]=0.084pm 0.005 ({⤪ stat.}) pm 0.008 ({⤪ syst.})$.

The production of neutral kaons in e+e− annihilation at centre-of-mass energies in the region of the Z0 mass and their Bose-Einstein correlations are investigated with the OPAL detector at LEP. A total of about 1.26×106 Z0 hadronic decay events are used in the analysis. The production rate of K0 mesons is found to be 1.99±0.01±0.04 per hadronic event, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Both the rate and the differential cross section for K0 production are compared to the predictions of Monte Carlo generators. This comparison indicates that the fragmentation is too soft in bothJetset andHerwig. Bose-Einstein correlations in Ks0Ks0 pairs are measured through the quantityQ, the four momentum difference of the pair. A threshold enhancement is observed in Ks0Ks0 pairs originating from a mixed sample of\(K^0 \bar K^0\) and K0K0 (\(\bar K^0 \bar K^0\)) pairs. For the strength of the effect and for the radius of the emitting source we find values of λ=1.14±0.23±0.32 andR0=(0.76±0.10±0.11) fm respectively. The first error is statistical and the second systematic.

The production of Δ ++ baryons has been measured using 3.5 million hadronic Z 0 decays collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The production rate and fragmentation function are presented. A total of 0.22 ± 0.04 ± 0.04 Δ ++ + ( Δ ) −− per hadronic Z 0 decay is observed. The fragmentation function is found to be softer than that predicted by the JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo event generators. With this measurement of Δ ++ production, at least one baryon of each strangeness level in the lightest baryon decuplet has now been measured at LEP.

Measurements of helicity density matrix elements have been made for the φ(1020), D*± and B* vector mesons in multihadronic Z0 decays in the OPAL experiment at LEP. Results for inclusive φ produced with high energy show evidence for production preferentially in the helicity zero state, with ρ00 = 0.54 ± 0.08, compared to the value of 1/3 expected for no spin alignment. The corresponding element for the D*± has a value of 0.40 ± 0.02, also suggesting a deviation from 1/3. The B* result, with ρ00 = 0.36 ± 0.09, is consistent with no spin alignment. Off-diagonal elements have been measured for the f and D* mesons; for the D* the element Re ρ1−1 is non-zero, indicating non-independent fragmentation of the primary quarks.

We have studied hadronic events produced at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 161 GeV. We present distributions of event shape variables, jet rates, charged particle momentum spectra and multiplicities. We determine the strong coupling strength to be αs(161 GeV) = 0.101±0.005(stat.)±0.007(syst.), the mean charged particle multiplicity to be 〈nch〉(161 GeV) = 24.46 ± 0.45(stat.) ± 0.44(syst.) and the position of the peak in the ξp = ln(1/xp) distribution to be ξ0(161 GeV) = 4.00 ±0.03(stat.)±0.04(syst.). These results are compared to data taken at lower centre-of-mass energies and to analytic QCD or Monte Carlo predictions. Our measured value of αs(161 GeV) is consistent with other measurements of αs. Within the current statistical and systematic uncertainties, the PYTHIA, HERWIG and ARIADNE QCD Monte Carlo models and analytic calculations are in overall agreement with our measurements. The COJETS QCD Monte Carlo is in general agreement with the data for momentum weighted distributions like Thrust, but predicts a significantly larger charged particle multiplicity than is observed experimentally.

The production of the $J^{P}={1⩈er 2}^{+}$ octet baryons Λ and Ξ−, the $J^{P}={3⩈er 2}^{+}$ decuplet baryons Σ(1385)±Ξ(1530)0, and Ω−, and the $J^{P}={3⩈er 2}^{-}$ orbitally excited state Λ(1520) has been measured in a sample of approximately 3.65 million hadronic Z0 decays. The integrated rates and the differential cross-sections as a function of xE, the scaled energy, are determined. The differential cross-sections of the Λ and Ξ− baryons are found to be softer than those predicted by both the JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo generators. The measured baryon yields are found to disagree with the simple diquark picture where only one tuning parameter for spin 1 diquarks is allowed. The yields are further compared with a thermodynamic model of hadron production which includes the production of orbitally excited mesons and baryons. The momentum spectra of Λ, Ξ−, Σ(1385)±Ξ(1530)0, and Λ(1520) are also compared to the predictions of an analytical QCD formula.

We present an analysis of multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced inZ0 hadronic decays. The results are based on the analysis of 82941 events collected within 100 MeV of theZ0 peak energy with the OPAL detector at LEP. The charged particle multiplicity distribution, corrected for initial-state radiation and for detector acceptance and resolution, was found to have a mean 〈nch〉=21.40±0.02(stat.)±0.43(syst.) and a dispersionD=6.49±0.02(stat.)±0.20(syst.). The shape is well described by the Lognormal and Gamma distributions. A negative binomial parameterisation was found to describe the shape of the multiplicity distribution less well. A comparison with results obtained at lower energies confirms the validity of KNO(-G) scaling up to LEP energies. A separate analysis of events with low sphericity, typically associated with two-jet final states, shows the presence of features expected for models based on a stochastic production mechanism for particles. In all cases, the features observed in the data are well described by the Lund parton shower model JETSET.

We employ data taken by the JADE and OPAL experiments for an integrated QCD study in hadronic e+e- annihilations at c.m.s. energies ranging from 35 GeV through 189 GeV. The study is based on jet-multiplicity related observables. The observables are obtained to high jet resolution scales with the JADE, Durham, Cambridge and cone jet finders, and compared with the predictions of various QCD and Monte Carlo models. The strong coupling strength, alpha_s, is determined at each energy by fits of O(alpha_s^2) calculations, as well as matched O(alpha_s^2) and NLLA predictions, to the data. Matching schemes are compared, and the dependence of the results on the choice of the renormalization scale is investigated. The combination of the results using matched predictions gives alpha_s(MZ)=0.1187+{0.0034}-{0.0019}. The strong coupling is also obtained, at lower precision, from O(alpha_s^2) fits of the c.m.s. energy evolution of some of the observables. A qualitative comparison is made between the data and a recent MLLA prediction for mean jet multiplicities.

Inclusive production of the f_0(980), f_2(1270) and \phi(1020) resonances has been studied in a sample of 4.3 million hadronic Z^0 decays from the OPAL experiment at LEP. A coupled channel analysis has been used for the f_0 in simultaneous fits to the resonances in inclusive \pi+\pi- and K+K- mass spectra. Fragmentation functions are reported for the three states. Total inclusive rates are measured to be 0.141 +/- 0.007 +/- 0.011 f_0, 0.155 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.018 f_2, and 0.091 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.003 \phi mesons per hadronic Z^0 decay. The production properties of the f_0, including those in three-jet events, are compared with those of the f_2 and \phi, and with the Lund string model of hadron production. All measurements are consistent with the hypothesis that the f_0 is a conventional qq(bar) scalar meson.

The inclusive production rates and differential cross-sections of photons and mesons with a final state containing photons have been measured with the OPAL detector at LEP. The light mesons covered by the measurements are the \pi^0, \eta, \rho(770)+-, \omega(782), \eta'(958) and a_0(980)+-. The particle multiplicities per hadronic Z^0 decay, extrapolated to the full energy range, are: <n_\gamma> = 20.97 +/- 0.02 +/- 1.15, <n_\pi^0> = 9.55 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.75, <n_\eta> = 0.97 +/- 0.03 +/- 0.11, <n_\rho^+-> = 2.40 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.43, <n_\omega> = 1.04 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.14, <n_\eta> = 0.14 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.02, <n_a_0+-> = 0.27 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.10. where the first errors are statistical and the second systematic. In general, the results are in agreement with the predictions of the JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo models.

We compared the multiplicities of pizero, eta, Kzero and of charged particles in quark and gluon jets in 3-jet events, as measured by the OPAL experiment at LEP. The comparisons were performed for distributions unfolded to 100% pure quark and gluon jets, at an effective scale Qjet which took into account topological dependences of the 3-jet environment. The ratio of particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets as a function of Qjet for pizero, eta and Kzero was found to be independent of the particle species. This is consistent with the QCD prediction that the observed enhancement in the mean particle rate in gluon jets with respect to quark jets should be independent of particle species. In contrast to some theoretical predictions and previous observations, we observed no evidence for an enhancement of eta meson production in gluon jets with respect to quark jets, beyond that observed for charged particles. We measured the ratio of the slope of the average charged particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets, C, and we compared it to a next-to-next-to-next-to leading order calculation. Our result, C=2.27+-0.20(stat+syst),is about one standard deviation higher than the perturbative prediction.

Charged particle momentum distributions are studied in the reaction e+e- -> hadrons, using data collected with the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies from 192 GeV to 209 GeV. The data correspond to an average centre-of- mass energy of 201.7 GeV and a total integrated luminosity of 433 pb-1. The measured distributions and derived quantities, in combination with corresponding results obtained at lower centre-of-mass energies, are compared to QCD predictions in various theoretical approaches to study the energy dependence of the strong interaction and to test QCD as the theory describing it. In general, a good agreement is found between the measurements and the corresponding QCD predictions.

The helicity density matrix elements rho[00] of rho(770)+- and omega(782) mesons produced in Z decays have been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. Over the measured meson energy range, the values are compatible with 1/3, corresponding to a statistical mix of helicity -1, 0 and +1 states. For the highest accessible scaled energy range 0.3 < x_E < 0.6, the measured rho[00] values of the rho(770)+- and the omega are 0.373 +- 0.052 and 0.142 +- 0.114, respectively. These results are compared to measurements of other vector mesons.

Using data from e+e- annihilation into hadrons, taken with the OPAL detector at LEP at the Z pole between 1991 and 1995, we performed a simultaneous measurement of the colour factors of the underlying gauge group of the strong interaction, CF and CA, and the strong coupling, alpha(s). The measurement was carried out by fitting next-to-leading order perturbative predictions to measured angular correlations of 4-jet events together with multi-jet related variables. Our results, CA = 3.02 +/- 0.25 (stat.) +/- 0.49 (syst.), CF = 1.34 +/- 0.13 (stat.) +/- 0.22 (syst.), alpha(s)(M_Z) = 0.120 +/- 0.011 (stat.) +/- 0.020 (syst.), provide a test of perturbative QCD in which the only assumptions are non-abelian gauge symmetry and standard hadronization models. The measurements are in agreement with SU(3) expectations for CF and CA and the world average of alpha(s)(M_Z).

We have measured the mean charged particle multiplicities separately for bbbar, ccbar and light quark (uubar, ddbar, ssbar) initiated events produced in e+e- annihilations at LEP. The data were recorded with the OPAL detector at eleven different energies above Z0 peak, corresponding to the full statistics collected at LPE1.5 and LEP2. The difference in mean charged and particle multiplicities for bbbar and light quark events, delta_bl, measured over this energy range is consistent with an energy independent behaviour, as predicted by QCD, but is inconsistent with the prediction of a more phenomenological approach which assumes that the multiplicity accompanying the decay of a heavy quark is independent of the quark mass itself. Our results, which can be combined into the single measurement delta_bl = 3.44+-0.40(stat)+-0.89(syst) at a luminosity weighted average centre-of mass energy of 195 GeV, are also consistent with an energy independent behaviour as extrapolated from lower energy data.

Di-jet producion is studied in collisions of quasi-real photons at e+e- centre- of-mass energies sqrt(s)ee from 189 to 209 GeV at LEP. The data were collected with the OPAL detector. Jets are reconstructed using an inclusive k_t clustering algorithm for all cross-section measurements presented. A cone jet algorithm is used in addition to study the different structure of the jets resulting from either of the algorithms. The inclusive di-jet cross-section is measured as a function of the mean transverse energy Etm(jet) of the two leading jets, and as a functiuon of the estimated fraction of the photon momentum carried by the parton entering the hard sub-process, xg, for different regions of Etm (jet). Angular distribution in di-jet events are measured and used to demonstrate the dominance of quark and gluon initiated processes in different regions of phase space. Furthermore the inclusive di-jet cross-section as a function of |eta(jet)| and |delta eta (jet)| is presented where eta(jet) is the jet pseudo-rapidity. Different regions of the xg+ -xg- -space are explored to study and control the influence of an underlying event. The results are compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and to the predictions of the leading order Monte Carlo generator PYTHIA.

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.

The cross section and jet rates ofZ0 decays into photons and quarks are compared with matrix element Monte Carlos ofO(ααs). Good agreement is found between data and theoretical predic

We have studied the production of D*± mesons in a sample of 1.25 million multihadronic decays of the Z0, in which 1969 candidates have been identified. We have determined the total multiplicity of charged D* mesons in multihadronic Z0 decays to be

The inclusive production rates of π±,K± andp\(\bar p\) inZ0 decays have been measured with the OPAL detector at LEP. Using the energy loss measurement in the jet chamber, the momentum range up to the beam energy (45.6 GeV/c) has been covered. Differential cross sections and total particle yields are given. Comparisons of the inclusive momentum spectra and the total rates with predictions of the JETSET and the HERWIG Monte Carlo model are presented. The total single rates are found to be 17.05±0.43 π±, 2.42±0.13K± and 0.92±0.11p\(\bar p\) per hadronic event. Predictions of JETSET for cross sections and total rates agree very well for π±; however, for momenta greater than 4 GeV/c,K± rates are underestimated and\(\bar p\) rates are overestimated. Combined with data of other particle species there is evidence that the peak positions in the ξ=ln(1/xp) distributions show a different mass dependence for mesons and baryons. However, both JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo predictions agree with the observed data.

We have studied hadronic events from e+e- annihilation data at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt{s}=172, 183 and 189 GeV. The total integrated luminosity of the three samples, measured with the OPAL detector, corresponds to 250 pb^-1. We present distributions of event shape variables, charged particle multiplicity and momentum, measured separately in the three data samples. From these we extract measurements of the strong coupling alpha_s, the mean charged particle multiplicity <nch> and the peak position xi_0 in the xi_p=ln(1/x_p) distribution. In general the data are described well by analytic QCD calculations and Monte Carlo models. Our measured values of alpha_s, <nch> and xi_0 are consistent with previous determinations at sqrt{s}=MZ.