We have searched for excited states of charged and neutral leptons, e ∗ , μ ∗ , τ ∗ and ν ∗ , in e + e − collisions at s =161 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence for their existence was found. With the most common coupling assumptions, the topologies from excited lepton pair production include ℓ + ℓ − γγ and ℓ + ℓ − W + W − , with the subsequent decay of the virtual W bosons. From the analysis of these topologies, 95% confidence level lower mass limits of 79.9 GeV for e ∗ , 80.0 GeV for μ ∗ , 79.1 GeV for τ ∗ , 78.3 GeV for ν e ∗ , 78.9 GeV for ν μ ∗ and 76.2 GeV for ν τ ∗ are inferred. From the analysis of W + W − and γγ topologies with missing energy and using alternative coupling assingments which favour charged ℓ ∗± and photonic ν ∗ decays, 95% confidence level lower mass limits of 77.1 GeV for each ℓ ∗± flavour and 77.8 GeV for each ν ∗ flavour are inferred. From the analysis of the ℓ + ℓ − γ , ℓ ± W ∓ and single γ final states expected from excited lepton single production, upper limits on the ratio of the coupling to the compositeness scale, f Λ , are determined for excited lepton masses up to the kinematic limit.

Cross-sections for hadronic and leptonic two-fermion events, and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries, have been measured in e + e − collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 161 GeV, using the OPAL detector at LEP. Results are presented both including and excluding the dominant production of radiative γZ 0 events. We have measured R b , the ratio of the number of b b to all multihadronic events at 161 GeV, and compared it to the result obtained at 130–136 GeV. All results agree well with the Standard Model expectations. In a model-independent fit to the Z 0 lineshape, the data presented here give an improved precision on the γZ 0 -interference term. The data have also been used to obtain new limits on extensions of the Standard Model described by effective four-fermion contact interactions.

Using about 3.9 million hadronic Z decays from e+e- collisions recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies near MZ the branching ratio for the decay D_s -> tau nu_tau has been measured to be (7.0 +/- 2.1(stat) +/- 2.0 (syst))%. This result can be used to derive the decay constant of the D_s meson: f(D_s) = 286 +/- 44(stat) +/- 41(syst) MeV.

We search for lepton flavour violating events (e mu, e tau and mu tau) that could be directly produced in e+e- annihilations, using the full available data sample collected with the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 GeV and 209 GeV. In general, the Standard Model expectations describe the data well for all the channels and at each sqrt(s). A single e mu event is observed where according to our Monte Carlo simulations only 0.019 events are expected from Standard Model processes. We obtain the first limits on the cross-sections sigma(e+e- -> e mu, e tau and mu tau) as a function of sqrt(s) at LEP2 energies.

The differential cross-sections for e + e − → e + e − , e + e − → μ + μ − and e + e − → τ + τ − , and the total cross-section for e + e − → qq̄ at centre-of-mass energies of 130–140 GeV were studied using about 5 pb −1 of data collected with the OPAL detector at LEP in October and November 1995. The results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. Four-fermion contact interaction models were fitted to the data and lower limits were obtained on the energy scale Λ at the 95% confidence level.

Cross-sections and angular distributions for hadronic and lepton pair final states in e+e- collisions at a centre-of-mass energy near 189 GeV, measured with the OPAL detector at LEP, are presented and compared with the predictions of the Standard Model. The results are used to measure the energy dependence of the electromagnetic coupling constant alpha_em, and to place limits on new physics as described by four-fermion contact interactions or by the exchange of a new heavy particle such as a sneutrino in supersymmetric theories with R-parity violation. A search for the indirect effects of the gravitational interaction in extra dimensions on the mu+mu- and tau+tau- final states is also presented.

Cross-sections for hadronic, b-bbar and lepton pair final states in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s) = 183 GeV, measured with the OPAL detector at LEP, are presented and compared with the predictions of the Standard Model. Forward-backward asymmetries for the leptonic final states have also been measured. Cross-sections and asymmetries are also presented for data recorded in 1997 at sqrt(s) = 130 and 136 GeV. The results are used to measure the energy dependence of the electromagnetic coupling constant alpha_em, and to place limits on new physics as described by four-fermion contact interactions or by the exchange of a new heavy particle such as a leptoquark, or of a squark or sneutrino in supersymmetric theories with R-parity violation.

Production of events with hadronic and leptonic final states has been measured in e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130-172 GeV, using the OPAL detector at LEP. Cross-sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries are presented, both including and excluding the dominant production of radiative Z \gamma events, and compared to Standard Model expectations. The ratio R_b of the cross-section for bb(bar) production to the hadronic cross-section has been measured. In a model-independent fit to the Z lineshape, the data have been used to obtain an improved precision on the measurement of \gamma-Z interference. The energy dependence of \alpha_em has been investigated. The measurements have also been used to obtain limits on extensions of the Standard Model described by effective four-fermion contact interactions, to search for t-channel contributions from new massive particles and to place limits on chargino pair production with subsequent decay of the chargino into a light gluino and a quark pair.

Measurements are presented of the polarisation of W+W- boson pairs produced in e+e- collisions, and of CP-violating WWZ and WWGamma trilinear gauge couplings. The data were recorded by the OPAL experiment at LEP during 1998, where a total integrated luminosity of 183 pb^-1 was obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. The measurements are performed through a spin density matrix analysis of the W boson decay products. The fraction of W bosons produced with longitudinal polarisation was found to be sigma_L/sigma_total = (21.0 +- 3.3 +- 1.6)% where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The joint W boson pair production fractions were found to be sigma_TT/sigma_total = (78.1 +- 9.0 +- 3.2) %, sigma_LL/sigma_total = (20.1 +- 7.2 +- 1.8) % and sigma_TL/sigma_total = (1.8 +- 14.7 +- 3.8) %. In the CP-violating trilinear gauge coupling sector we find kappa_z = -0.20 +0.10 -0.07, g^z_4 = -0.02 +0.32 -0.33 and lambda_z = -0.18 +0.24 -0.16, where errors include both statistical and systematic uncertainties. In each case the coupling is determined with all other couplings set to their Standard Model values except those related to the measured coupling via SU(2)_LxU(1)_Y symmetry. These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.

This final analysis of hadronic and leptonic cross-sections and of leptonic forward-backward asymmetries in e+e- collisions with the OPAL detector makes use of the full LEP1 data sample comprising 161 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity and 4.5 x 10^6 selected Z decays. An interpretation of the data in terms of contributions from pure Z exchange and from Z-gamma interference allows the parameters of the Z resonance to be determined in a model-independent way. Our results are in good agreement with lepton universality and consistent with the vector and axial-vector couplings predicted in the Standard Model. A fit to the complete dataset yields the fundamental Z resonance parameters: mZ = 91.1852 +- 0.0030 GeV, GZ = 2.4948 +- 0.0041 GeV, s0h = 41.501 +- 0.055 nb, Rl = 20.823 +- 0.044, and Afb0l = 0.0145 +- 0.0017. Transforming these parameters gives a measurement of the ratio between the decay width into invisible particles and the width to a single species of charged lepton, Ginv/Gl = 5.942 +- 0.027. Attributing the entire invisible width to neutrino decays and assuming the Standard Model couplings for neutrinos, this translates into a measurement of the effective number of light neutrino species, N_nu = 2.984 +- 0.013. Interpreting the data within the context of the Standard Model allows the mass of the top quark, mt = 162 +29-16 GeV, to be determined through its influence on radiative corrections. Alternatively, utilising the direct external measurement of mt as an additional constraint leads to a measurement of the strong coupling constant and the mass of the Higgs boson: alfa_s(mZ) = 0.127 +- 0.005 and mH = 390 +750-280 GeV.