We have measured the inclusive prompt electron cross section over a wide momentum range (P>0.5 GeV/c) with the PEP-4 TPC detector. The semielectronic branching fractions of thec andb quarks are (9.1±0.9 (stat.)±1.3 (syst.))% and (11.0±1.8±1.0)%, respectively. Theb quark fragmentation function peaks at highz with 〈zb〉=0.74±0.05±0.03. The axial couplings to the neutral current areac=2.3±1.4±1.0 for thec quark andab=−2.0±1.9±0.5 for theb quark.

We report measurements of the two-photon processes e+e−→e+e−π+π− and e+e−→e+e−K+K−, at an e+e− center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV. In the π+π− data a high-statistics analysis of the f(1270) results in a γγ width Γ(γγ→f)=3.2±0.4 keV. The π+π− continuum below the f mass is well described by a QED Born approximation, whereas above the f mass it is consistent with a QCD-model calculation if a large contribution from the f is assumed. For the K+K− data we find agreement of the high-mass continuum with the QCD prediction; limits on f′(1520) and θ(1720) formation are presented.

We measure an inclusive branching fraction of (13.9 ± 2.0−2.2+1.9)% for the decay τ−→ντπ−π0+nh0(n>~1), where h0 is a π0 or an η. The data sample, obtained with the time-projection-chamber detector facility at the SLAC e+e− storage ring PEP, corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 72 pb−1 at 29 GeV center-of-mass energy. The measured branching fraction is somewhat greater than the theoretical prediction and, with errors taken into account, could resolve the present difference between the inclusive and the sum of the exclusive τ± branching fractions into one charged prong.

We compare the particle flow in the event plane of three-jet qq¯g (quark-antiquark-gluon) events with the particle flow in radiative annihilation events qq¯γ (quark-antiquark-photon) for similar kinematic configurations. In the angular region between quark and antiquark jet, we find a significant decrease in particle density for qq¯g as compared to qq¯γ. This effect is predicted in QCD as a result of destructive interference between soft-gluon radiation from quark, antiquark, and hard gluon.

We report on the first search with virtual photon-photon collisions for narrow, neutral resonances with even C parity in the mass range 4.5<W<19 GeV. The data were obtained via the process e+e−→e+e−γ*γ*→e e−+R with both the scattered e+ and e− detected. We find upper limits (95% confidence level) for the partial decay width of a resonance into two photons, ranging from 50 keV at W=4.5 GeV to 10 MeV at W=19 GeV. These limits constrain theoretical models involving neutral composite bosons.

We present a measurement of the photon structure functionF2γ in the reactionee→eeX forQ2 in the range 0.2<Q2<7 GeV2, using 9,200 multihadron events obtained with the TPC/Two-Gamma detector at PEP. The data have been corrected for detector effects using a regularized unfolding procedure and are presented as a function ofx andQ2. The structure function shows scaling in the region 0.3<Q2<1.6 GeV2,x<0.3 and rises for higherQ2. AtQ2=5.1 GeV2 the results are compared with QCD and, within the scheme of Antoniadis and Grunberg, rather conservative bounds for the QCD scale parameter of 133±50<\(\Lambda _{\overline {{\rm M}S} } \)<268±98 MeV are obtained. A study of the final state structure shows that the rise ofF2γ is consistent with being entirely due to the pointlike component of the photon.

The structure function F2γ for a quasireal photon has been measured in the reaction ee→eeX for Q2 in the range 0.2<Q2<7 GeV2, by use of 9200 multihadron events obtained with the TPC/Two-Gamma detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP. The data have been corrected for detector effects by a regularized unfolding procedure and are presented as F2γ(x,Q2). The structure function shows scaling in the region 0.3<Q2<1.6 GeV2, x<0.3, and rises for higher Q2 and x>0.1. Below Q2=0.3 GeV2, scaling breaks down in accordance with the finite cross-section bound for real photons.

The cross section of the process e+ e- ---> eta gamma has been measured in the 600-1380 MeV c.m. energy range with the CMD-2 detector. The following branching ratios have been determined: B(rho ---> eta gamma) = (3.28 +- 0.37 +- 0.23) 10^{-4}, B(omega ---> eta gamma) = (5.10 +- 0.72 +- 0.34) 10^{-4}, B(phi --> eta gamma) = (1.287 +- 0.013 +- 0.063) 10^{-2}. Evidence for the rho'(1450) ---> eta gamma decay has been obtained for the first time.

Using 3.07 ${pb}^{-1}$ of data collected in the energy range 0.60-0.97 GeV by CMD-2, about 150 events of the process $\epm \to \pch$ have been selected. The energy dependence of the cross section agrees with the assumption of the $a_1(1260) \pi$ intermediate state which is dominant above 1 GeV. For the first time \fourpi events are observed at the $\rho$ meson energy. Under the assumption that all these events come from the $\rho$ meson decay, the value of the cross section at the $\rho$ meson peak corresponds to the following decay width: \Gamma(\rho^0 \to \fourpi) = (2.8 \pm 1.4 \pm 0.5) {keV} or to the branching ratio B(\rho^0 \to \fourpi) = (1.8 \pm 0.9 \pm 0.3) \cdot 10 ^{-5}.

The cross section of the process e+e- -> pi+pi- has been measured using about 114000 events collected by the CMD-2 detector at the VEPP-2M e+e- collider in the center-of-mass energy range from 0.61 to 0.96 GeV. Results of the pion form factor determination with a 0.6% systematic uncertainty are presented. Implications for the hadronic contribution to the muon anomalous magnetic moment are discussed.