Single top production via flavour changing neutral currents in the reactions e + e − → t ̄ c / u is searched for in approximately 411 pb −1 of data collected by ALEPH at centre-of-mass energies in the range between 189 and 202 GeV. In total, 58 events are selected in the data to be compared with 50.3 expected from Standard Model backgrounds. No deviation from the Standard Model expectation is observed. Upper limits at 95% CL on single top production cross sections at s =189 –202 GeV are derived. A model-dependent limit on the sum of branching ratios BR(t→Zc)+BR(t→Zu)<17% is obtained.
The production of W-pairs is analysed in a data sample collected by ALEPH at a mean centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 174.2 pb^-1. Cross sections are given for different topologies of W decays into leptons or hadrons. Combining all final states and assuming Standard Model branching fractions, the total W-pair cross section is measured to be 15.71 +- 0.34 (stat) +- 0.18 (syst) pb. Using also the W-pair data samples collected by ALEPH at lower centre-of-mass energies, the decay branching fraction of the W boson into hadrons is measured to be BR (W > hadrons) = 66.97 +- 0.65 (stat) +- 0.32 (syst) %, allowing a determination of the CKM matrix element |V(cs)|= 0.951 +- 0.030 (stat) +- 0.015 (syst).
Distributions are presented of event shape variables, jet roduction rates and charged particle momenta obtained from 53 000 hadronicZ decays. They are compared to the predictions of the QCD+hadronization models JETSET, ARIADNE and HERWIG, and are used to optimize several model parameters. The JETSET and ARIADNE coherent parton shower (PS) models with running αs and string fragmentation yield the best description of the data. The HERWIG parton shower model with cluster fragmentation fits the data less well. The data are in better agreement with JETSET PS than with JETSETO(αS2) matrix elements (ME) even when the renormalization scale is optimized.
Jet mass difference distribution.
A study of scaling violations in fragmentation functions performed by the ALEPH collaboration at LEP is presented. Data samples enriched in uds, c, b and gluon jets, respectively, together with measurements of the longitudinal and transverse inclusive cross sections are used to extract the fragmentation function for the gluon and for each flavour. The measurements are compared to data from experiments at energies between 22 GeV and 91 GeV and scaling violations consistent with QCD predictions are observed. From this, a measurement of the strong coupling constant α s ( Mz ) = 0.126 ±0.009 is obtained.
Four-fermion events have been selected in a data sample of 5.8 pb −1 collected with the aleph detector at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV. The final states ℓ + ℓ − q q , ℓ + ℓ − ℓ + ℓ − , ν ν q q , and ν ν ℓ + ℓ − have been examined. Five events are observed in the data, in agreement with the Standard Model predictions of 6.67±0.38 events from four-fermion processes and 0.14 −0.05 +0.19 from background processes.
The inclusive production of D ∗± mesons in photon-photon collisions has been measured by the Aleph experiment at LEP with a beam energy of 45 GeV. The D ∗+ are detected in their decay to D 0 π + with the D 0 observed in three separate decay modes: (1) K − π + , (2) K − π + π 0 and (3) K − π + π − π + , and analagously for the D ∗− modes. A total of 33 events was observed from an integrated luminosity of 73 pb −1 which corresponds to a cross section for Σ( e + e − → e + e − D ∗± X ) of 155 ± 33 ± 21 pb. This result is compatible with both the direct production γγ → c c in the Born approximation and with a more complete calculation which includes both radiative QCD corrections and contributions in which one of the photons is first resolved into its quark and gluon constituents. The shapes of distributions for events containing a D ∗+ are found to be better described by the latter.
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.
The e + e − → W + W − cross section is measured in a data sample collected by ALEPH at a mean centre-of-mass energy of 172.09 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 10.65 pb −1 . Cross sections are given for the three topologies, fully leptonic, semi-leptonic and hadronic of a W-pair decay. Under the assumption that no other decay modes are present, the W-pair cross section is measured to be 11.7±1.2 (stat.) ±0.3 (syst.) pb . The existence of the triple gauge boson vertex of the Standard Model is clearly preferred by the data. The decay branching ratio of the W boson into hadrons is measured to be B(W→hadrons) =67.7±3.1 (stat.) ±0.7 (syst.) % , allowing a determination of the CKM matrix element | V cs |=0.98±0.14(stat.)±0.03(syst.).
In June 1996, the LEP centre-of-mass energy was raised to 161 GeV. Pair production of W bosons in e + e − collisions was observed for the first time by the LEP experiments. An integrated luminosity of 11 pb −1 was recorded in the ALEPH detector, in which WW candidate events were observed. In 6 events both Ws decay leptonically. In 16 events, one W decays leptonically, the other into hadrons. In the channel where both Ws decay into hadrons, a signal was separated from the large background by means of several multi-variate analyses. The W pair cross-section is measured to be σ WW = 4.23 ± 0.73 (stat.) ± 0.19 (syst.) pb. From this cross-section, the W mass is derived within the framework of the Standard Model: m W = 80.14 ± 0.34 (stat.) ± 0.09 (syst.) ± 0.03 (LEP energy) GeV/ c 2
The production rates and the inclusive cross sections of the isovector meson${\rm \pi^0}$, the isoscalar mesons$\eta$and
Inclusive cross section for K0S production in three-jet events where the K0S comes from JET3.
Forum