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)

We present measurements of global event shape distributions in the hadronic decays of theZ0. The data sample, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 1.3 pb−1, was collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. Most of the experimental distributions we present are unfolded for the finite acceptance and resolution of the OPAL detector. Through comparison with our unfolded data, we tune the parameter values of several Monte Carlo computer programs which simulate perturbative QCD and the hadronization of partons. Jetset version 7.2, Herwig version 3.4 and Ariadne version 3.1 all provide good descriptions of the experimental distributions. They in addition describe lower energy data with the parameter values adjusted at theZ0 energy. A complete second order matrix element Monte Carlo program with a modified perturbation scale is also compared to our 91 GeV data and its parameter values are adjusted. We obtained an unfolded value for the mean charged multiplicity of 21.28±0.04±0.84, where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.

The error includes the experimental uncertainties (±0.003), uncertainties of hadronisation corrections and of the degree of parton virtualities to which the data are corrected, as well as the uncertainty of choosing the renormalisation scale.

The charged particle multiplicities of two- and three-jet events from the reaction e+e- -> Z0 -> hadrons are measured for Z0 decays to light quark (uds) flavors. Using recent theoretical expressions to account for biases from event selection, results corresponding to unbiased gluon jets are extracted over a range of jet energies from about 11 to 30 GeV. We find consistency between these results and direct measurements of unbiased gluon jet multiplicity from upsilon and Z0 decays. The unbiased gluon jet data including the direct measurements are compared to corresponding results for quark jets. We perform fits based on analytic expressions for particle multiplicity in jets to determine the ratio r = Ng/Nq of multiplicities between gluon and quark jets as a function of energy. We also determine the ratio of slopes, r(1) = (dNg/dy)/(dNq/dy), and of curvatures, r(2) = (d2Ng/dy2)/(d2Nq/dy2), where y specifies the energy scale. At 30 GeV, we find r = 1.422 +/- 0.051, r(1) = 1.761 +/- 0.071 and r(2) = 1.98 +/- 0.13, where the uncertainties are the statistical and systematic terms added in quadrature. These results are in general agreement with theoretical predictions. In addition, we use the measurements of the energy dependence of Ng and Nq to determine an effective value of the ratio of QCD color factors, CA/CF. Our result, CA/CF = 2.23 +/- 0.14 (total), is consistent with the QCD value of 2.25.

We report on a measurement of the mass of the Z 0 boson, its total width, and its partial decay widths into hadrons and leptons. On the basis of 25 801 hadronic decays and 1999 decays into electrons, muons or taus, selected over eleven energy points between 88.28 GeV and 95.04 GeV, we obtain from a combined fit to hadrons and leptons a mass of M z =91.154±0.021 (exp)±0.030 (LEP) GeV, and a total width of Γ z =2.536±0.045 GeV. The errors on M z have been separated into the experimental error and the uncertainty due to the LEP beam energy. The measured leptonic partial widths are Γ ee =81.2±2.6 MeV, Γ μμ =82.6± 5.8 MeV, and Γ ττ =85.7±7.1 MeV, consistent with lepton universality. From a fit assuming lepton universality we obtain Γ ℓ + ℓ − = 81.9±2.0 MeV. The hadronic partial width is Γ had =1838±46 MeV. From the measured total and partial widths a model independent value for the invisible width is calculated to be Γ inv =453±44 MeV. The errors quoted include both the statistical and the systematic uncertainties.

Deep inelastic electron-photon scattering is studied in the Q2 ranges from 6 to 30 GeV2 and from 60 to 400 GeV2 using the full sample of LEP data taken with the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies close to the Z0 mass, with an integrated luminosity of 156.4 pb−1. Energy flow distributions and other properties of the measured hadronic final state are compared with the predictions of Monte Carlo models, including HERWIG and PYTHIA. Sizeable differences are found between the data and the models, especially at low values of the scaling variable x. New measurements are presented of the photon structure function $F_2^{αmma }(x,Q^2)$, allowing for the first time for uncertainties in the description of the final state by different Monte Carlo models. The differences between the data and the models contribute significantly to the systematic errors on $F_2^{αmma }$. The slope ${⤪ d}(F_2^{αmma }/←pha )/{⤪ d ln} Q^2$ is measured to be $0.13_{-0.04}^{+0.06}$.

Gluon jets with about 39 GeV energy are identified in hadronic Z 0 decays by tagging two jets in the same hemisphere of an event as quark jets. Identifying the gluon jet to be all the particles observed in the hemisphere opposite to that containing the two tagged jets yields an inclusive gluon jet definition corresponding to that used in analytic calculations, allowing the first direct test of those calculations. In particular, this jet definition yields results which are only weakly dependent on a jet finding algorithm. We find r ch. =1.552±0.0041 ( stat ) ±0.061 ( syst. ) for the ratio of the mean charged particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in light quark uds jets, where the uds jets are identified using an inclusive jet definition similar to that used for the gluon jets. Our result is in general agreement with the prediction of a recent analytic calculation which incorporates energy conservation into the parton shower branching processes, but is considerably smaller than analytic predictions which do not incorporate energy conservation.

A measurement of the charm and bottom forward-backward asymmetry in e+e− annihilations is presented at energies on and around the peak of the Z0 resonance. Decays of the Z0 into charm and bottom quarks are tagged using D mesons identified in about 4 million hadronic decays of the Z0 boson recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP between 1990 and 1995. Approximately 33000 D mesons are tagged in seven different decay modes. From these the charm and bottom asymmetries are measured in three energy ranges around the Z0 peak: \(\matrix {A_{\rm FB}^{\rm c}=0.039\pm 0.051\pm 0.009\cr A_{\rm FB}^{\rm c}=0.063\pm 0.012\pm 0.006\cr A_{\rm FB}^{\rm c}=0.158\pm 0.041\pm 0.011}\)\(\matrix {A_{\rm FB}^{\rm b}=0.086\pm 0.108\pm 0.029\cr A_{\rm FB}^{\rm b}=0.094\pm 0.027\pm 0.022\cr A_{\rm FB}^{\rm b}=0.021\pm 0.090\pm 0.026}\)\(\matrix{\langle E_{cm}\rangle =89.45\ {\rm GeV}\cr \langle E_{cm}\rangle =91.22\ {\rm GeV}\cr \langle E_{cm}\rangle =93.00\ {\rm GeV}}\) The results are in agreement with the predictions of the standard model and other measurements at LEP.

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 rates of D^*+/- mesons in charm and bottom events at centre-of-mass energies of about 91 GeV and the partial width of primary cc(bar) pairs in hadronic Z^0 decays have been measured at LEP using almost 4.4 million hadronic Z^0 decays collected with the OPAL detector between 1990 and 1995. Using a combination of several charm quark tagging methods based on fully and partially reconstructed D^*+/- mesons, and a bottom tag based on identified muons and electrons, the hadronisation fractions of charm and bottom quarks into D^*+/- mesons have been found to be: f(b -> D^*+ X) = 0.173 +/- 0.016 +/- 0.012 and f(c -> D^*+ X) = 0.222 +/- 0.014 +/- 0.014 The fraction of cc(bar) events in hadronic Z^0 decays, Gamma_cc(bar)/Gamma_had = Gamma(Z^0 -> cc(bar))/Gamma(Z^0 -> hadrons), is determined to be Gamma_cc(bar)/Gamma_had = 0.180 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.012 +/- 0.006 In all cases the first error is statistical, and the second one systematic. The last error quoted for Gamma_cc(bar)/Gamma_had is due to external branching ratios.