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.
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.
Results are presented on an investigation of photons produced in multihadronic final states frome+e− annihilation at 35 GeV and 44 GeV center of mass energies. Scalling violation between 14 and 44 GeV is observed in inclusive photon spectra. Comparing inclusive π0 spectra with charged pion spectra it is found that the average π0 multiplicity exceeds the charged pion multiplicity scaled by factor of 0.5 by (16±5)% and (21±7)% at 35 and 44 GeV respectively. The excess can be attributed to isospin violating decays of hadrons. The η multiplicity is found to be 〈nη〈=0.64±0.09±0.06 at 35 GeV. With a significance of three standard deviations a signal from quark bremsstrahlung is observed. The measured charge asymmetry in hadronic final states, due to the interference between initial and final state radiation, ofA=−0.141±0.041 is in accord with QED expectations. An interference effect in the azimuth angle distribution of charged jets around the photon direction is observed for the first time.
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 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.
Measurements of the charged multiplicities for hadron production in e + e − annihilation in the center of mass energy range 9–32 GeV have been made. The average charged multiplicity has an energy dependence much stronger than ln s and similar to that reported for pp collisions. Quantitative differences are observed in the magnitude of both the average multiplicity 〈 n ch 〉 and the dispersion D ch for e + e − and pp interactions at the same center of mass energy. 〈 n ch 〉 and the ratio 〈 n ch / D ch in e + e − annihilations are significantly larger than in pp collisions and are found to be in overall agreement with QCD predictions. KNO scaling is seen to be satisfied.
We have performed a search for narrow resonances in the center of mass energy range from 29.90 to 31.46 GeV using the e + e − storage ring PETRA at DESY. We present the total cross section for hadron production and an upper limit for resonance production, indicating that no bound state of charge- 2 3 quarks exists in this energy range.
Results on e + e − annihilation into hadrons at c.m. energies between 22 and 31.6 GeV are presented. The data were accumulated with the PLUTO detector at PETRA. The events are dominantly of the two-jet type. The value of the relative hadronic cross section R =3.88 ± 0.22 along with the details of the sphericity and thrust distribution rule out an open (tt̄) channel (Q t = 2 3 ) below 30 GeV. The inclusive muon results support the above conclusion.
Measurements of energy-energy correlations in hadronic final states produced in e + e − annihilation at c.m. energies between 7.7 and 31.6 GeV are presented. The data are compared to perturbative QCD predictions. Good qualitative agreement above 20 GeV c.m. energy is found. The importance of non-perturbative effects is discussed, as well as the detailed behaviour of the correlation near 180°.
The processγγπ+π− has been measured with complete particle identification. Cross-sections are presented from near threshold up to the region of thef(1270). In the mass range 0.5–0.7 GeV, crosssections are lower than the Born term predictions and show no evidence for an ε(600). The two-photon width of thef(1270) is found to be in agreement with previous results.
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