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 first measurements of the invariant differential cross sections of inclusive $\pi^0$ and $\eta$ meson production at mid-rapidity in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$ TeV and $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV are reported. The $\pi^0$ measurement covers the ranges $0.4<p_T<7$ GeV/$c$ and $0.3<p_T<25$ GeV/$c$ for these two energies, respectively. The production of $\eta$ mesons was measured at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV in the range $0.4<p_T<15$ GeV/$c$. Next-to-Leading Order perturbative QCD calculations, which are consistent with the $\pi^0$ spectrum at $\sqrt{s}=0.9$ TeV, overestimate those of $\pi^0$ and $\eta$ mesons at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV, but agree with the measured $\eta/\pi^0$ ratio at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV.
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 DORIS II storage ring at DESY, we have observed a charmed meson of mass (2455±3±5) MeV/c2, decaying to D + π − . The natural width of this state is determined to be (15 +13+5 −10−10 ) MeV c 2 . The fragmentation function is hard, as expected for a leading charmed particle from nonresonant e + e − annihilation. Analysis of the decay angular distribution supports the hypothesis that the observed state is an L =1 excited charmed meson with spin-parity 2 + .
Using the ARGUS detector at the e + e − storage ring DORIS II at DESY, we have found evidence for the production of the excited charmed baryon state Λ c (2593) + in the channel Λ c + π + π − . Its mass was determined to be (2594.6±0.9±0.4) MeV/c 2 , and the natural width measured to be Γ = (2.9 −2.1−1.4 +2.9+1.8 ) MeV. The production cross section times the branching ratios of σ ( e + e − → Λ c (2593) + X ) × Br ( Λ c (2593) + → Λ c + π + π − ) × Br ( Λ c + → pK − π + ) was measured to be (0.25 −0.13 +0.24 ±0.13) pb. The fractions of Λ c (2593) + decays proceeding through the Σ c 0 π + and Σ c ++ π − channels were determined to be 0.29±0.10±0.11 and 0.37±0.12±0.13, respectively.
We report the first observation of an orbitally excited baryon, the Λ(1520), in quark and gluon fragmentation. The production rate is found to be (1.15±0.21±0.16)×10 −2 and (0.80±0.17 −0.13 +0.10 )×10 −2 Λ (1520) hyperons per event in direct ϒ decays and in the continuum, respectively. In contrast to the observed situation for ground state baryons, the production of the Λ(1520) in direct ϒ decays shows little or no enhancement with respect to continuum production.
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 .
Using the ARGUS detector at the e + e − storage ring DORIS II at DESY, we have observed parity violation in the decay Λ ± c → Λπ ± . We measure the coefficient of parity violation, α Λ c , to be −0.96±0.42. In addition, we measure σ BR ( Λ + c → Λπ + and σ BR ( Λ + c → Σ 0 π + ) to be, respectively, (2.2±0.3±0.4) pb and (2.0±0.7±0.4) pb.
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