The reaction e + e − → τ + τ − has been studied at centre of mass energies between 14.0 and 46.8 GeV with the CELLO detector at the PETRA e + e − collider. We present results for the cross section σ τ and the charge asymmetry A τ . The results are in good agreement with the standard model. We have also measured the topological decay rates BR 1 , BR 3 and BR 5 for the inclusive decay of the τ lepton into one, three and five charge particles. The results confirm and improve earlier CELLO measurements at other energies. We find for the combined values at all energies BR 1 = (84.9 ± 0.4 ± 0.3)%, BR 3 = (15.0 ± 0.4 ± 0.3)% and BR 5 = (0.16 ± 0.13 ± 0.04)%.

We have studied 419 τ pair events produced in the reactione+e−→τ+ τ− at a c.m. energy of 34.6 GeV. We measure the cross section and angular distribution, as well as the decay branching ratios. The production characteristics are consistent with the Standard Electroweak Model predictions of γ andZ0 interference. The branching ratios are generally consistent with the τ decaying according to standard weak interaction principles, but we observe somewhat more decays resulting in single charged hadrons plus neutrals than are predicted by present theory.

The e + e − → μ + μ − reaction has been studied at centre of mass energies ranging between 38.3 abd 46.8 GeV with the CELLO detector at PETRA. We present results on the cross section and the charge asymmetry for this channel. Combining all the data at the average energy 〈 s 〉=43 GeV we obtain R μμ =〈 σ μμ / σ 0 〉=0.98±0.04±0.04, 〈 A μμ 〉=(−14.1±3.7±1.0)%, where σ 0 is the QED cross section and A μμ is the charge asymmetry corrected for pure radiative effects. These results are in good agreement with the expected values of R μμ =1.01 and A μμ =−14.5% at that energy.

A measurement of elastic deeply virtual Compton scattering gamma* p -> gamma p using e^+ p and e^- p collision data recorded with the H1 detector at HERA is presented. The analysed data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 306 pb^-1, almost equally shared between both beam charges. The cross section is measured as a function of the virtuality Q^2 of the exchanged photon and the centre-of-mass energy W of the gamma* p system in the kinematic domain 6.5 < Q^2 < 80 GeV^2, 30 < W < 140 GeV and |t| < 1 GeV^2, where t denotes the squared momentum transfer at the proton vertex. The cross section is determined differentially in t for different Q^2 and W values and exponential t-slope parameters are derived. Using e^+ p and e^- p data samples, a beam charge asymmetry is extracted for the first time in the low Bjorken x kinematic domain. The observed asymmetry is attributed to the interference between Bethe-Heitler and deeply virtual Compton scattering processes. Experimental results are discussed in the context of two different models, one based on generalised parton distributions and one based on the dipole approach.

The search for an additional heavy gauge boson Z′ is described. The models considered are based on either a superstring-motivated E 6 or on a left-right symmetry and assume a minimal Higgs sector. Cross sections and asymmetries measured with the L3 detector in the vicinity of the Z resonance during the 1990 and 1991 running periods are used to determine limits on the Z-Z′ gauge boson mixing angle and on the Z′ mass. For Z′ masses above the direct limits, we obtain the following allowed ranges of the mixing angle, θ M at the 95% confidence level: −0.004 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.015 for the χ model, −0.003 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.020 for the ψ model, −0.029 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.010 for the η model, −0.002 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.020 for the LR model,

Using the data recorded with the L3 detector at LEP, we study the process e + e − → μ + μ − ( γ ) for events with hard initial-state photon radiation. The effective centre-of-mass energies of the muons range from 50 GeV to 86 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 103.5 pb −1 and yields 293 muon-pair events with a hard photon along the beam direction. The events are used to determine the cross sections and the forward-backward charge asymmetries at centre-of-mass energies below the Z resonance.

Hadronic and leptonic cross-sections and forward-backward asymmetries are measured using 5.7 pb −1 of data taken with the ALEPH detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV. The results agree with Standard Model expectations. The measurement of hadronic cross-sections far away from the Z resonance improves the determination of the interference between photon and Z exchange. Constraints on models with extra Z bosons are presented.

The total cross section and the forward-backward asymmetry for the process e + e − → μ + μ − ( nγ ) are measured in the energy range 20–136 GeV by reconstructing the effective centre-of-mass energy after initial state radiation. The analysis is based on the data recorded with the ALEPH detector at LEP between 1990 and 1995, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 143.5 pb −1 . Two different approaches are used: in the first one an exclusive selection of events with hard initial state radiation in the energy range 20–88 GeV is directly compared with the Standard Model predictions showing good agreement. In the second one, all events are used to obtain a precise measurement of the energy dependence of σ 0 and A FB 0 from a model independent fit, enabling constraints to be placed on models with extra Z bosons.

The measurements of Rb = sigma(e+e- -> bb~)/sigma(e+e- -> qq~) and of the b quark forward-backward charge asymmetry, A^b_fb, at centre-of-mass energies above the Z pole are described. The measurement of Rb is performed at \root{s} between 130 and 189 GeV using a b-tagging method that exploits the relatively large decay length of b-hadrons. The measurement of A^b_fb is performed using the large statistics event sample collected at \root{s}=189 GeV with a lepton-tag analysis based on the selection of prompt muons and electrons. The results at \root{s}=189 GeV are: Rb = 0.163 +/- 0.013 (stat.) +/- 0.005 (syst.), A^b_fb = 0.61 +/- 0.18 (stat.) +/- 0.09 (syst.).

We report on the first measurements of e + e − annihilations into hadrons and lepton pairs at centre-of-mass energies between 130 GeV and 140 GeV. In a total luminosity of 5 pb −1 collected with the L3 detector at LEP we select 1577 hadronic and 401 lepton-pair events. The measured cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries agree well with the Standard Model predictions.

We report on measurements of e+e- annihilation into hadrons and lepton pairs. The data have been collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 189 GeV. Using a total integrated luminosity of 243.7 pb^-1, 25864 hadronic and 8573 lepton-pair events are selected for the measurement of cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries. The results are in good agreement with Standard Model predictions.

We report on measurements of hadronic and leptonic cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries performed with the L3 detector in the years 1993-95. A total luminosity of 103 pb^-1 was collected at centre-of-mass energies \sqrt{s} ~ m_Z and \sqrt{s} ~ m_Z +/- 1.8 GeV which corresponds to 2.5 million hadronic and 245 thousand leptonic events selected. These data lead to a significantly improved determination of Z parameters. From the total cross sections, combined with our measurements in 1990-92, we obtain the final results: m_Z = 91189.8 +/- 3.1 MeV, Gamma_Z = 2502.4 +/- 4.2 MeV, Gamma_had = 1741.1 +/- 3.8 MeV, Gamma_l = 84.14 +/- 0.17 MeV. An invisible width of Gamma_inv = 499.1 +/- 2.9 MeV is derived which in the Standard Model yields for the number of light neutrino species N_nu = 2.978 +/- 0.014. Adding our results on the leptonic forward-backward asymmetries and the tau polarisation, the effective vector and axial-vector coupling constants of the neutral weak current to charged leptons are determined to be \bar{g}_V^l = -0.0397 +/- 0.0017 and \bar{g}_A^l = -0.50153 +/- 0.00053.Including our measurements of the Z -> b \bar{b} forward-backward and quark charge asymmetries a value for the effective electroweak mixing angle of sin^2\bar{\theta}_W = 0.23093 +/- 0.00066 is derived. All these measurements are in good agreement with the Standard Model of electroweak interactions. Using all our measurements of electroweak observables an upper limit on the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson of m_H < 133 GeV is set at 95% confidence level.

From the measured ratio of the invisible and the leptonic decay widths of theZ0, we determine the number of light neutrino species to beNv=3.05±0.10. We include our measurements of the forward-backward asymmetry for the leptonic channels in a fit to determine the vector and axial-vector neutral current coupling constants of charged leptons to theZ0. We obtain\(\bar g_V=- 0.046_{ - 0.012}^{ + 0.015}\) and\(\bar g_A=- 0.500 \pm 0.003\). In the framework of the Standard Model, we estimate the top quark mass to bemt=193−69+52±16 (Higgs) GeV, and we derive a value for the weak mixing angle of sin2θW=1−(MW/MZ)2=0.222 ± 0.008, corresponding to an effective weak mixing angle of\(\sin ^2 \bar \theta _W= 0.2315\pm0.0025\).

The production of collinear muon pairs has been studied using the JADE detector at thee+e− storage ring at PETRA. Results for the total cross section and the angular distribution were obtained at centre of mass (cm) energies ranging from 12 to 46 GeV. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity offLdt>90 pb−1, of which 71.2 pb−1 were taken at\(\left\langle {\sqrt s } \right\rangle \)=34.4 GeV and 17 pb−1 at\(\left\langle {\sqrt s } \right\rangle \)=42.4 GeV. The results are compared to electroweak theories, in particular the “Standard Model”.

We report on the measurement of the leptonic and hadronic cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries at theZ peak with the L3 detector at LEP. The total luminosity of 40.8 pb−1 collected

The cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries of hadronic and leptonic events produced in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130-183 GeV are presented. Results for ee, mumu, tautau, qq, bb and cc production show no significant deviation from the Standard Model predictions. This enable constraints to be set upon physics beyond the Standard Model such as four-fermion contact interactions, leptoquarks, Z' bosons and R-parity violating squarks and sneutrinos. Limits on the energy scale Lambda of eeff contact interactions are typically in the range from 2-10 TeV. Limits on R-parity violating sneutrinos reach masses of a few hundred GeV for large values of their Yukawa couplings.

We present the midrapidity charged pion invariant cross sections and the ratio of $\pi^-$-to-$\pi^+$ production ($5<p_T<13$ GeV/$c$), together with the double-helicity asymmetries ($5<p_T<12$ GeV/$c$) in polarized $p$$+$$p$ collisions at $\sqrt{s} = 200$ GeV. The cross section measurements are consistent with perturbative calculations in quantum chromodynamics within large uncertainties in the calculation due to the choice of factorization, renormalization, and fragmentation scales. However, the theoretical calculation of the ratio of $\pi^-$-to-$\pi^+$ production when considering these scale uncertainties overestimates the measured value, suggesting further investigation of the uncertainties on the charge-separated pion fragmentation functions is needed. Due to cancellations of uncertainties in the charge ratio, direct inclusion of these ratio data in future parameterizations should improve constraints on the flavor dependence of quark fragmentation functions to pions. By measuring charge-separated pion asymmetries, one can gain sensitivity to the sign of $\Delta G$ through the opposite sign of the up and down quark helicity distributions in conjunction with preferential fragmentation of positive pions from up quarks and negative pions from down quarks. The double-helicity asymmetries presented are sensitive to the gluon helicity distribution over an $x$ range of $\sim$0.03--0.16.