This report reviews the experimental investigation of high energy e + e − interactions by the MARK J collaboration at PETRA, the electron-positron colliding beam accelerator at DESY in Hamburg, Germany. The physics objectives include studies of several purely electromagnetic processes and hadronic final states, which further our knowledge of the nature of the fundamental constituents and of their strong, electromagnetic and weak interactions. Before discussing the physics results, the main features and the principal components of the MARK J detector are discussed in terms of design, function, and performance. Several aspects of the on-line data collection and the off-line analysis are also outlined. Results are presented on tests of quantum electrodynamics using e + e − → e + e − , μ + μ − and τ + τ − , on the measurement of R , the ratio of the hadronic to the point-like muon pair cross section, on the search for new quark flavors, on the discovery of three jet events arising from the radiation of hard noncollinear gluons as predicted by quantum chromodynamics, and on the determination of the strong coupling constant α s .
Exclusive production of π and K meson pairs in two photon collisions is measured with ALEPH data collected between 1992 and 2000. Cross-sections are presented as a function of cos θ ∗ and invariant mass, for | cos θ ∗ |<0.6 and invariant masses between 2.0 and 6.0 GeV/ c 2 (2.25 and 4.0 GeV/ c 2 ) for pions (kaons). The shape of the distributions are found to be well described by QCD predictions but the data have a significantly higher normalization.
The ratio R of the total cross section for e+e− annihilation into hadrons to the lowest-order QED cross section for e+e−→μ+μ− has been measured for center-of-mass energies ranging from 50 to 61.4 GeV. If we allow for an overall shift of —4.9%, about 1.5 times our estimated normalization error, the results are consistent with the standard-model predictions.
We report on the first observation of Δ(1232) ++ and Δ(1232)++¯ baryons in e + e − annihilation at energies around 10 GeV, using the ARGUS detector at DORIS II. The sum of the rates of Δ ++ and Δ++¯ per hadronic event in the continuum is measured to be 0.040±0.008±0.006, and the rate in direct ϒ(1S) decays is 0.124±0.016±0.015. The momentum spectrum of Δ ++ baryons in direct ϒ(1S) decays has been measured.
Using the ARGUS detector at the e + e − storage ring DORIS II at DESY, we have observed production of the charmed-strange baryon Ξ c + and its neutral isospin partner, the Ξ c 0 . The Ξ c + was reconstructed in the final state Ξ − π + π + , while the Ξ c 0 was seen in decay to Ξ − π + and Ξ − π + π + π − . The average Ξ c fragmentation spectrum has been determined, as well as the production cross section times branching ratio for each decay mode. The charged and neutral masses were measured to be 2465.1 ± 3.6 ± 1.9 MeV/ c 2 and 2472.1 ± 2.7 ± 1.6 MeV/ c 2 respectively, corresponding to a mass-splitting, M ( Ξ c + ) − M ( Ξ c 0 ), of −7.0±4.5±2.2 MeV/ c 2 .
We have measured theR value in non-resonante+e− annihilation using the ARGUS detector at the storage ring DORIS II. At a centre-of-mass energy\(\sqrt s= 9.36\) GeV the ratio of the hadronic cross-section to the μ-pair cross section in lowest order QED has been determined to beR=3.46±0.03±0.13. In addition, we have measured the charged-particle multiplicities in non-resonant hadron production at\(\sqrt s= 10.47\) GeV just below theB\(\bar B\) threshold and in ϒ (4S) resonance decays. For the average charged-particle multiplicities in continuum events and ϒ(4S)→B\(\bar B\) decays we obtain <n>cont=8.35±0.02±0.20 and <n>ϒ(4s)=10.81±0.05±0.23.
Using the ARGUS detector at thee+e− storage ring DORIS II at DESY, we have measured the inclusive production ofD0,D+ andD*(2010)+ mesons inB decays and in nonresonante+e− annihilation around 10.6 GeV. The inclusive branching ratios forB decays toD0,D+ andD*+ mesons are found to be (52.2±8.2±3.5)%, (27.2±6.3±3.5)% and (34.8±6.0±3.5)% respectively. Thus,D0 andD+ production account for about 70% of the charm produced inB decays, neglectingb→u contributions to the total width. The production cross sections and momentum spectra for continuume+e− annihilation are also presented.
The production cross sections for the Λ, Σ0, Ξ−, Σ0 (1385), Ξ0 (1530) and Ω− hyperons have been measured, both in the continuum and in direct ϒ decays. Baryon rates in direct ϒ decays are enhanced by a factor of 2.5 or more compared to the continuum. Such a large baryon enhancement cannot be explained by standard fragmentation models. The strangeness suppression for baryons and mesons turns out to be the same. A strong suppression of spin 3/2 states is observed.
We report on a high precision measurement of ϕ-meson production in continuum events and in direct decays of the Υ(1S)- and Υ(2S)-mesons. The ratio of the total production rate of ϕ-mesons in direct Υ(1S)- and Υ(2S)-decays over that in continuum events is 1.32±0.08±0.09 and 1.07±0.13±0.11 respectively. This is compatible with the corresponding ratio obtained for lighter mesons, but is appreciably smaller than the relative baryon production rate.
The results of a search for supersymmetry in events with large missing transverse momentum and heavy flavour jets using an integrated luminosity corresponding to 2.05 fb^-1 of pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. No significant excess is observed with respect to the prediction for Standard Model processes. Results are interpreted in a variety of R-parity conserving models in which scalar bottoms and tops are the only scalar quarks to appear in the gluino decay cascade, and in an SO(10) model framework. Gluino masses up to 600-900 GeV are excluded, depending on the model considered.
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