Production of the F meson by e + e − annihilation at high energies has been obsrved in the ϕπ final state with a mass of 1.975 ± 0.009 ± 0.010 GeV and a width consistent with the mass resolution. The yield of F production times branching ratio relative to μ pair production is R F ( x ⩾ 0.3) B (F ± → ϕπ ± ) = 0.061 ± 0.012 ± 0.018.

Exclusive production of proton-antiproton pairs by two photon scattering at CM energies between 2.0 GeV and 3.1 GeV has been measured with the TASSO detector at the e + e − storage ring PETRA. The angular distribution is flat within the accepted CM angular range | cos Θ ∗ |⩽0.7 . The integrated cross section (| cos Θ ∗ |⩽0.6) drops from about 4 nb at 2 GeV to less than 0.5 nb above 3 GeV. For the two-photon production of the η c (2984) and its subsequent decay into proton-antiproton the upper limit Γ(η c →γγ)· B (η c → p p )<0.32 keV (95% CL) is found.

We have measured the processe+e−→e+e−+hadrons, where one of the scattered electrons was detected at large angles, withQ2 ranging from 7 to 70 (VeV/c)2. The photon structure functionF2γ(x, Q2) was determined at an averageQ2 of 23 (GeV/c)2. The measurements were compared to theoretical predictions of the Quark Parton Model and Quantum Chromodynamics. In both models a hadronic part was added. Within the errors the data are in agreement with the QPM using quark masses of 300 MeV/c2 for the light quarks. The data also agree with a QCD calculation including higher order corrections. A fit yielded a\(\Lambda _{\overline {MS} } \) value of 140−65+190 MeV, where the errors include statistical and systematic uncertainties.

The reactione+e−→e+e− A2 (1320) has been observed by detecting the decayA2→π+,π-π0. The two-photon width of theA2 has been measured to be Г(A2→γγ)=(0.09±0.27 (stat)±0.16 (syst)) keV. The cross section σ(γγ→π+,π-π0 has been determined outside theA2 resonance region.

Two samples of exclusive semileptonic decays, 579 B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ events and 261 B 0 → D + ℓ − ν ℓ events, are selected from approximately 3.9 million hadronic Z decays collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP. From the reconstructed differential decay rate of each sample, the product of the hadronic form factor F (ω) at zero recoil of the D (∗)+ meson and the CKM matrix element | V cb | are measured to be F D ∗+ (1)|V cb | = (31.9 ± 1.8 stat ± 1.9 syst ) × 10 −3 , F D + (1)| V cb | = (27.8 ± 6.8 stat ± 6.5 syst ) × 10 −3 . The ratio of the form factors F D + (1) and F D ∗+ (1) is measured to be F D + (1) F D ∗+ (1) = 0.87 ± 0.22 stat ± 0.21 syst . A value of | V cb | is extracted from the two samples, using theoretical constraints on the slope and curvature of the hadronic form factors and their normalization at zero recoil, with the result | V cb | = (34.4 ± 1.6 stat ± 2.3 syst ± 1.4 th ) × 10 −3 . The branching fractions are measured from the two integrated spectra to be Br ( B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ ) = (5.53 ± 0.26 stat ±0.52 syst ) %, Br ( B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ ) = (2.35 ± 0.20 stat ± 0.44 syst ) %.

The process γγ→π+π−π+π− has been investigated in reactions of the typee+e−→e+e−π+π−π+π− in the single tag mode. The range of the four momentum squared of one of the virtual photons was 0.28 GeV2/c2≦Q2≦3.6 GeV2/c2, the average being 〈Q2〉=0.92 GeV2/c2; the other photon was quasi real. The reaction is mainly described by the channels γγ→ρ0ρ0 and γγ→4π (phase space), occuring with about equal probability. TheQ2-dependence of the cross section is in agreement with the ρ form factor.

We present an analysis ofρ0ρ0 production by two photons in theρ0ρ0 invariant mass range from 1.2 to 2.0 GeV. From a study of the angular correlations in the process γγ→ρ0ρ0→π−π+π− we exclude a dominant contribution fromJP=0− or 2− states. The data indicate sizeable contributions fromJP=0+ for four pion massesM4π<1.7 GeV and fromJP=2+ forM4π>1.7 GeV. The data are also well described by a model with isotropic production and uncorrelated isotropic decay of theρ0,s. The cross section stays high below the nominalρ0ρ0 threshold, i.e.M4π<1.5 GeV. The matrix element forρ0ρ0 production is found to decrease steeply with increasingM4π. Upper limits for the couplings of the ι(1440) and Θ(1640) to γγ andρ0ρ0 are given:Γ(ι→γγ)·B(ι→ρ0ρ0)<1.0 keV andΓ(Θ→γγ)

Inclusive π±, K± and\((p,\bar p)\) differential cross-sections in hadronic decays of the Z have been measured as a function ofz=Phadron/Pbeam, the scaled momentum. The results are based on approximately 520 000 events measured by the ALEPH detector at LEP during 1992. Charged particles are identified by their rate of ionization energy loss in the ALEPH Time Projection Chamber. The position, ξ*, of the peak in the ln(1/z) distribution is determined, and the evolution of the peak position with centre-of-mass energy is compared with the prediction of QCD.

A novel form of mass spectrometer has been used to measure the masses, widths, and cross sections of the η, ω, X0(958), and φ mesons near their respective thresholds in the reaction π−+p→missingmass+n. The incident momentum is varied in small steps through the threshold while neutrons of a given momentum are detected near zero degrees. The lower limit of the c.m. momentum P* at which measurements have been made ranges from about 50 MeV/c at the φ to about 30 MeV/c at the η. A somewhat low value for the ω mass, 782.3 ± 0.6 MeV, is found. The width of the X0 is < 1.9 MeV (95% confidence level). All four mesons show evidence of S-wave production, with values of σP* of 21.2 ± 1.8, 0.35 ± 0.03, and 0.29 ± 0.06 μb/(MeV/c) for the η, X0, and φ, respectively. A rapid rise in the ω cross section appears to be modified by a final-state interaction. The effect of this rise can probably be seen in some S11 pion-nucleon phase-shift solutions. Evidence is also presented of a sudden drop in the π+π− mass spectrum just above the threshold for the production of a K+K− pair. The paper includes a comprehensive discussion of the method and of the details of the spectrometer.

We report observation of the S* meson in the reaction π−+p→S*+n. The S* decays into ππ and KK and is seen most clearly in the 2π0 channel. A fit to the data gives a sheet-II pole at 987±7−i(24±7) MeV and a relative coupling gS→KKgS→ππ of 3.8 ± 1.0.