A study of the reaction π + p → p π + π o at 16 GeV/ c incident momentum has been made using the prism plot analysis to reject background events arising from elastic and multineutral contaminations and to separate different reaction channels ( ϱ + p, g + p, Δ + π + , Δ ++ π o , π + (p π o ) DD ). Cross sections, invariant mass distributions and production and decay angular distributions are presented. For the channel corresponding to proton diffraction dissociation strong violation of both s - and t -channel helicity conservation is found for low values of the (p π o ) mass. We demonstrate that the prism plot method provides a better separation of background events than conventional methods using kinematic cuts.

We have analysed the reaction π + p → pπ + π + π − at 16 GeV/c by means of the prism plot analysis (PPA) as proposed by Pless et al. We have separated ten reaction channels contributing to the final state pπ + π + π − and present the results in terms of partial and differential cross sections, invariant mass and decay angular distributions. We show that the PPA is a self-controlling method which is demonstrated by the emergence of a broad (3π) + enhancement around 1800 MeV decaying into ρ 0 π + .

More extensive and precise results are reported on the parameters of Z decay. On the basis of 20 000 Z decays collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP we find M z =91.182±0.026 (exp.) ±0.030 (beam) GeV, Γ z =2.541±0.056 GeV and σ had 0 =41.4±0.8 nb. The partial widths for the hadronic and leptonic channels are Γ had =1804±44 MeV, Γ e + e − =82.1±3.4 MeV, Γ μ + μ − =87.9±6.0 MeV and Γ τ + τ − =86.1±5.6 MeV, in good agreement with the standard model. On the basis of the average leptonic width Γ ℓ + ℓ − =83.9±2.2 MeV, the effective weak mixing angle is found to be sin 2 θ w ( M z )=0.231±0.008. Usin g the partial widths calculated in the standard model, the number of light neutrino families is N ν =3.01±0.15 (exp.)±0.05 (theor.).

The properties of theZ resonance are measured on the basis of 190 000Z decays into fermion pairs collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP. Assuming lepton universality,Mz=(91.182±0.009exp±0.020L∶P) GeV,ГZ=(2484±17) MeV, σhad0=(41.44±0.36) nb, andГjad/Гℓℓ=21.00±0.20. The corresponding number of light neutrino species is 2.97±0.07. The forward-back-ward asymmetry in leptonic decays is used to determine the ratio of vector to axial-vector coupling constants of leptons:gv2(MZ2)/gA2(MZ2)=0.0072±0.0027. Combining these results with ALEPH results on quark charge and\(b\bar b\) asymmetries, and τ polarization, sin2θW(MZ2). In the contex of the Minimal Standard Model, limits are placed on the top-quark mass.

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.

Based on 520 000 fermion pairs accumulated during the first three years of data collection by the ALEPH detector at LEP, updated values of the resonance parameters of theZ are determined to beMZ=(91.187±0.009) GeV, ΓZ=(2.501±0.012) GeV, σhad0=(41.60±0.27) nb, andRℓ=20.78±0.13. The corresponding number of light neutrino species isNν=2.97±0.05. The forward-backward asymmetry in lepton-pair decays is used to determine the ratio of vector to axial-vector couplings of leptons:gV2(MZ2)/gA2(MZ2)=0.0052±0.0016. Combining this with ALEPH measurements of theb andc quark asymmetries and τ polarization gives sin2θWeff=0.2326±0.0013. Assuming the minimal Standard Model, and including measurements ofMW/MZ fromp\(\bar p\) colliders and neutrino-nucleon scattering, the mass of the top quark is\(M_{top} = 156 \pm \begin{array}{*{20}c} {22} \\ {25} \\ \end{array} \pm \begin{array}{*{20}c} {17} \\ {22Higgs} \\ \end{array} \) GeV.

We report on the properties of theZ resonance from 62 500Z decays into fermion pairs collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP, the Large Electron-Positron storage ring at CERN. We findMZ=(91.193±0.016exp±0.030LEP) GeV, ΓZ=(2497±31) MeV, σhad0=(41.86±0.66)nb, and for the partial widths Γinv=(489±24) MeV, Γhad(1754±27) MeV, Γee=(85.0±1.6)MeV, Γμμ=(80.0±2.5) MeV, and Γττ=(81.3±2.5) MeV, all in good agreement with the Standard Model. Assuming lepton universality and using a lepton sample without distinction of the final state we measure Γu=(84.3±1.3) MeV. The forward-backward asymmetry in leptonic decays is used to determine the vector and axial-vector weak coupling constants of leptors,gv2(MZ2)=(0.12±0.12)×10−2 andgA2(MZ2)=0.2528±0.0040. The number of light neutrino species isNν=2.91±0.13; the electroweak mixing angle is sin2θW(MZ2)=0.2291±0.0040.

We have measured the differential cross section for pp and p̄p elastic scattering at √ s = 31, 53 and 62 GeV in the interval 0.05 < | t | < 0.85 GeV 2 at the CERN ISR using the Split Field Magnet detector. At 53 and 62 GeV, for 0.17 < | t | < 0.85 GeV 2 both pp and p̄p data show simple exponential behaviour in t ; at √ s = 31 GeV the data for 0.05 < | t | < 0.85 GeV 2 are consistent with a change in slope near | t | = 0.15 GeV 2 .

A measurement of the total $pp$ cross section at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}=8$ TeV is presented. An integrated luminosity of $500$ $\mu$b$^{-1}$ was accumulated in a special run with high-$\beta^{\star}$ beam optics to measure the differential elastic cross section as a function of the Mandelstam momentum transfer variable $t$. The measurement is performed with the ALFA sub-detector of ATLAS. Using a fit to the differential elastic cross section in the $-t$ range from $0.014$ GeV$^2$ to $0.1$ GeV$^2$ to extrapolate $t\rightarrow 0$, the total cross section, $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X)$, is measured via the optical theorem to be: $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = {96.07} \; \pm 0.18 \; ({{stat.}}) \pm 0.85 \; ({{exp.}}) \pm 0.31 \; ({extr.}) \; {mb} \;,$ where the first error is statistical, the second accounts for all experimental systematic uncertainties and the last is related to uncertainties in the extrapolation $t\rightarrow 0$. In addition, the slope of the exponential function describing the elastic cross section at small $t$ is determined to be $B = 19.74 \pm 0.05 \; ({{stat.}}) \pm 0.23 \; ({{syst.}}) \; {GeV}^{-2}$.

A measurement of the total $pp$ cross section at the LHC at $\sqrt{s}=7$ TeV is presented. In a special run with high-$\beta^{\star}$ beam optics, an integrated luminosity of 80 $\mu$b$^{-1}$ was accumulated in order to measure the differential elastic cross section as a function of the Mandelstam momentum transfer variable $t$. The measurement is performed with the ALFA sub-detector of ATLAS. Using a fit to the differential elastic cross section in the $|t|$ range from 0.01 GeV$^2$ to 0.1 GeV$^2$ to extrapolate to $|t|\rightarrow 0$, the total cross section, $\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X)$, is measured via the optical theorem to be: $$\sigma_{\mathrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = 95.35 \; \pm 0.38 \; ({\mbox{stat.}}) \pm 1.25 \; ({\mbox{exp.}}) \pm 0.37 \; (\mbox{extr.}) \; \mbox{mb},$$ where the first error is statistical, the second accounts for all experimental systematic uncertainties and the last is related to uncertainties in the extrapolation to $|t|\rightarrow 0$. In addition, the slope of the elastic cross section at small $|t|$ is determined to be $B = 19.73 \pm 0.14 \; ({\mbox{stat.}}) \pm 0.26 \; ({\mbox{syst.}}) \; \mbox{GeV}^{-2}$.

Pseudorapidity gap distributions in proton-proton collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV are studied using a minimum bias data sample with an integrated luminosity of 7.1 inverse microbarns. Cross sections are measured differentially in terms of Delta eta F, the larger of the pseudorapidity regions extending to the limits of the ATLAS sensitivity, at eta = +/- 4.9, in which no final state particles are produced above a transverse momentum threshold p_T Cut. The measurements span the region 0 < Delta eta F < 8 for 200 < p_T Cut < 800 MeV. At small Delta eta F, the data test the reliability of hadronisation models in describing rapidity and transverse momentum fluctuations in final state particle production. The measurements at larger gap sizes are dominated by contributions from the single diffractive dissociation process (pp -> Xp), enhanced by double dissociation (pp -> XY) where the invariant mass of the lighter of the two dissociation systems satisfies M_Y <~ 7 GeV. The resulting cross section is d sigma / d Delta eta F ~ 1 mb for Delta eta F >~ 3. The large rapidity gap data are used to constrain the value of the pomeron intercept appropriate to triple Regge models of soft diffraction. The cross section integrated over all gap sizes is compared with other LHC inelastic cross section measurements.

In a special run of the LHC with $\beta^\star = 2.5~$km, proton-proton elastic-scattering events were recorded at $\sqrt{s} = 13~$TeV with an integrated luminosity of $340~\mu \textrm{b}^{-1}$ using the ALFA subdetector of ATLAS in 2016. The elastic cross section was measured differentially in the Mandelstam $t$ variable in the range from $-t = 2.5 \cdot 10^{-4}~$GeV$^{2}$ to $-t = 0.46~$GeV$^{2}$ using 6.9 million elastic-scattering candidates. This paper presents measurements of the total cross section $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$, parameters of the nuclear slope, and the $\rho$-parameter defined as the ratio of the real part to the imaginary part of the elastic-scattering amplitude in the limit $t \rightarrow 0$. These parameters are determined from a fit to the differential elastic cross section using the optical theorem and different parameterizations of the $t$-dependence. The results for $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$ and $\rho$ are \begin{equation*} \sigma_{\textrm{tot}}(pp\rightarrow X) = \mbox{104.7} \pm 1.1 \; \mbox{mb} , \; \; \; \rho = \mbox{0.098} \pm 0.011 . \end{equation*} The uncertainty in $\sigma_{\textrm{tot}}$ is dominated by the luminosity measurement, and in $\rho$ by imperfect knowledge of the detector alignment and by modelling of the nuclear amplitude.

A prism plot analysis of the reaction π − p→p π + π − π − at 16 GeV/ c has been made and the results are compared with those obtained in a similar analysis of the reaction π + p→ p π + π + π − at the same energy. The three dominating reaction mechanisms (pion dissociation, reggeon exchange, proton diffraction dissociation) appear to be well separated, while considerable residual overlaps are present inside these classes. The prism plot method is discussed as a means for detecting hidden structures and some evidence is presented for a broad three-pion enhancement around 2 GeV decaying primarily into ϱ 0 π − .

By means of an isospin analysis of the reaction π ± p→ π (N π ) at 16 GeV/ c we have determined the decay angular distributions of the N π system with I= 1 2 produced by isospin zero exchange. Helicity conservation is not observed in the t -channel for the N π mass region below 1.6 GeV, where diffraction dissociation of the proton is supposed to dominate. There are indications for approximate t -channel helicity conservation for N ∗ (1690) production. In the helicity frame, the experimental data are not in agreement with s -channel helicity conservation over the whole N π mass range investigated. Thus the diffractive process N→N π differs both from the process N→N ππ (or π → πππ and K→K ππ ) which approximately conserves t -channel helicity and from the elastic scattering N→N which conserves helicity in the s -channel.

K − p elastic scattering at 10 GeV/ c is studied on ∼3600 bubble chamber events. The elastic cross section is found to be σ el = (3.20 ± 0.14)mb and the ratio σ el σ tot = (0.142 ± 0.006) , that is below the upper limit of 0.185 suggested in a model by Van Hove. The value of the forward differential cross section is consistent with zero real part to the scattering amplitude. The slope of d σ d t is similar to that for π ± and greater than that of K + , with no evidence for shrinkage of the diffraction peak. No events of backward scattering were observed. The Regge-pole model of Phillips and Rarita gives a good fit to the data.

We have performed a partial-wave analysis of the mainly diffractively produced low-mass (K ππ ) system in the reactions K − p → K − π + π − p and K − p → K 0 π − π 0 p at 10, 14 and 16 GeV /c . We find that the dominant 1 + S ( K ∗ π ) state has possibly a two-peak structure (around 1.27 and 1.37 GeV). In contrast the 1 + S(K ϱ ) state shows one narrow peak near thershold (around 1.27 GeV). These states are found to be of different origin. The results favour the interpretation of the 1 + S(K ϱ ) as a 1 + resonance below the (K ϱ ) threshold. The t ′ pp dependence is found to be different for the 1 + and 0 − states.

A partial-wave analysis has been performed of the diffractively produced low-mass ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) system in the reaction K − p → ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . Thus information complementary to that derived from the K − p → (K − π + π − )p) channel is obtained. The presence of the K ϱ decay mode, besides the dominant K ∗ (890)π mode, for the state J P = 1 + , is confirmed. It is also confirmed that for this 1 + state the assumption of factorization of the amplitude into “production” and “decay” does not hold: the two decay modes K ∗ π and K ϱ have different polarisation properties (helicity is approximately conserved in the t -channel for the first, in the s -channel for the second). The assumption that the ( K ̄ 0 π − π 0 ) system has isospin I = 1 2 has been tested and found to hold. From the cross sections for the various J P states, assuming I = 1 2 , the cross sections for the (K − π + π − ) system are predicted and compared with the experimental ones. In general, agreement is found.

A partial-wave analysis has been performed on the (K − π − π + ) system produced in the reaction K − p → K − π − π + p at 10 and 16 GeV/ c . In the Q mass region it is found that the two dominant states, K ∗ π and Kπ, both in 1 + S wave, are produced with different polarisations, helicity being approximately conserved in the t -channel for K ∗ π and in the s -channel for Kπ. This is in contradiction with the assumption that the amplitude can be factorised into “production” and “decay” parts, and hence that the two amplitudes are fully coherent. The phase variation of the two states do not indicate simple resonance behaviour. It is concluded that the Q-mass enhancement is composite.

Results are presented on elastic scattering of 10.1 GeV/ c K − mesons on protons, based on a sample of 16 261 kinematically-fitted bubble-chamber events. The differential cross section is given over the | t |- range of 0.06 to 2.5 GeV 2 and is fitted with the expressions a e bt , A e Bt + Ct 2 and ( P e Qt + Re St ) over various intervals of t . The results are compared with those of other experiments at nearby energies. Upper limits of | α | < 0.28 and σ B < 0.4 μ b (both at a 90% confidence level) are given for the ratio of real to imaginary part of the forward-scattering amplitude and the backward-elastic-scattering cross section, respectively.

We report on the measurement of the reaction e+e−→e+e− with a large—solid-angle electromagnetic shower detector at center-of-mass energies s=13 and 17 GeV. Comparison of our results with predictions of quantum electrodynamics shows excellent agreement in both the angular distribution and energy dependence. Values of cutoff parameters are also given.

Elastic cross-section measurements are presented for π ± −p at 20 GeV/ c and π − −p at 30 GeV/ c incident momenta in the large angle region (50° to 90° in the c.m. system). The data are compared with published lower energy elastic cross sections. A test is made of the dimensional counting rules for π ± −p elastic scattering and some indication of a deviation from this rule is observed in the π − −p case. A comparison is also made with the predictions of the constituent interchange model. Although the broad features of the predictions are confirmed, there are some important discrepancies. Finally, the predictions of the model due to Preparata and Soffer are also compared with the new data.

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We present measurements of the αα elastic scattering differential cross section at √ s = 126 GeV in the range 0.05 ⩽ ‖ t ‖

Using the UA5 detector, the inclusive central production of Ks<sup loc="post">0</sup> and K<sup loc="post">±</sup> mesons has been measured in non-single-diffractive interactions at the CERN SPS <math altimg="si1.gif"><ovl type="bar" style="s">p</ovl>p</math> Collider at a c.m. energy of 540 GeV. The average transverse momentum is found to be 〈pT〉 = 0.57±0.03 GeV/c in the rapidity range |y|<2.5, which is an increase of about 30% over the top ISR energy. The K/π ratio has increased from about 8% at ISR energies to 9.5±0.9±0.7% (the last error is systematic) at 540 GeV. The average number of Ks<sup loc="post">0</sup> per non-single-diffractive event is 1.1±0.1 and the inclusive inelastic cross section is estimated at 49±5 mb.

Results are presented onK+p elastic scattering and on the reactionK+p→K+pπ+π− at 70 GeV/c. For the