Double-tag events in two-photon collisions are studied using the L3 detector at LEP centre-of-mass energies from root(s)=189 GeV to 209 GeV. The cross sections of the e+e- -> e+e- hadrons and gamma*gamma* -> hadrons processes are measured as a function of the photon virtualities, Q1^2 and Q2^2, of the two-photon mass, W_gammagamma, and of the variable Y=ln(W_gammagamma^2/(Q1 Q2)), for an average photon virtuality <Q2> = 16 GeV2. The results are in agreement with next-to-leading order calculations for the process gamma*gamma* -> q qbar in the interval 2 <= Y <= 5. An excess is observed in the interval 5 < Y <= 7, corresponding to W_gammagamma greater than 40 GeV . This may be interpreted as a sign of resolved photon QCD processes or the onset of BFKL phenomena.
Inclusive jet production, e+e- -> e+e- \ee$ jet X, is studied using 560/pb of data collected at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV. The inclusive differential cross section is measured using a k_t jet algorithm as a function of the jet transverse momentum, pt, in the range 3<pt<50 GeV for a pseudorapidity, eta, in the range -1<eta<1. This cross section is well represented by a power law. For high pt, the measured cross section is significantly higher than the NLO QCD predictions, as already observed for inclusive charged and neutral pion production.
The reactions e^+e^- -> e^+e^- Lambda X and e^+e^- -> e^+e^- Lambda X are studied using data collected at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV. Inclusive differential cross sections are measured as a function of the lambda transverse momentum, p_t, and pseudo-rapidity, eta, in the ranges 0.4 GeV < p_t < 2.5 GeV and |\eta| < 1.2. The data are compared to Monte Carlo predictions. The differential cross section as a function of p_t is well described by an exponential of the form A exp (- p_t / <p_t>)$.
Inclusive charged hadron production, e+e- -> e+e- h+- X, is studied using 414 pb-1 of data collected at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 202 GeV. Single particle inclusive differential cross sections are measured as a function of the particle transverse momentum, pt, and pseudo-rapidity, eta. For p_t < 1.5 GeV, the data are well described by an exponential, typical of soft hadronic processes. For higher pt, the onset of perturbative QCD processes is observed. The pi+- production cross section for pt > 5 GeV is much higher than the NLO QCD predictions.
The reaction γγ→π0η has been investigated with the Crystal Ball detector at the DESY storage ring DORIS II. Formation of δ(980) and A2(1320) has been observed with γγ partial widths Γγγ(A2)=1.14±0.20±0.2 6 keV and Γγγ(δ)B(δ→πη)=0.19±0.07 −0.07+0.10 keV.
The reaction e^+e^- -> e^+e^- proton antiproton is studied with the L3 detector at LEP. The analysis is based on data collected at e^+e^- center-of-mass energies from 183 GeV to 209 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 667 pb^-1. The gamma gamma -> proton antiproton differential cross section is measured in the range of the two-photon center-of-mass energy from 2.1 GeV to 4.5 GeV. The results are compared to the predictions of the three-quark and quark-diquark models.
Strange baryon pair production in two-photon collisions is studied with the L3 detector at LEP. The analysis is based on data collected at e+e- centre-of-mass energies from 91 GeV to 208 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 844 pb-1. The processes gamma gamma -> Lambda Anti-lambda and gamma gamma -> Sigma0 Anti-sigma0 are identified. Their cross sections as a function of the gamma gamma centre-of-mass energy are measured and results are compared to predictions of the quark-diquark model.
The formation of the η ′ in the reaction e + e − →e + e − η ′→e + e − π + π − γ has been measured by the L3 detector at a centre-of-mass energy of 91 GeV . The radiative width of the η ′ has been found to be Γ γγ =4.17±0.10 (stat.) ±0.27 (sys.) keV . The Q 2 dependence of the η ′ formation cross section has been measured for Q 2 ≤10 GeV 2 and the η ′ electromagnetic transition form factor has been determined. The form factor can be parametrised by a pole form with Λ=0.900±0.046 (stat.) ±0.022 (sys.) GeV . It is also consistent with recent non-perturbative QCD calculations.
The reactions ee->ee+pi0+X and ee->ee+K0s+X are studied using data collected at LEP with the L3 detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 202 GeV. Inclusive differential cross sections are measured as a function of the particle transverse momentum pt and the pseudo-rapidity. For pt < 1.5 GeV, the pi0 and K0s differential cross sections are described by an exponential, typical of soft hadronic processes. For pt > 1.5 GeV, the cross sections show the presence of perturbative QCD processes, described by a power-law. The data are compared to Monte Carlo predictions and to NLO QCD calculations.
The reaction e+e−→e+e−π0π0 has been analyzed using 97 pb−1 of data taken with the Crystal Ball detector at the DESY e−e+ storage ring DORIS II at beam energies around 5.3 GeV. For the first time we have measured the cross section for γγ→π0π0 for π0π0 mvariant masses ranging from threshold to about 2 GeV. We measure an approximately flat cross section of about 10 nb for W=mπ0π0<0.8 GeV, which is below 0.6 GeV, in good agreement with a theoretical prediction based on an unitarized Born-term model. At higher invariant masses we observe formation of the f2(1270) resonance and a hint of the f0(975). We deduce the following two-photon widths: Γγγ(f2(1270))=3.19±0.16±0.280.29 keV and Γγγ(f0(975))<0.53 keV at 90% C.L. The decay-angular distributions show the π0π0 system to be dominantly spin 0 for W<0.7 GeV and spin 2, helicity 2 in the f2(1270) region, with helicity 0 contributing at most 22% (90% C.L.).
The QED processes e^+ e^- -> e^+ e^- \mu^+ \mu^- and e^+ e^- -> e^+ e^- \tau^+ \tau^- are studied with the L3 detector at LEP using an untagged data sample collected at centre-of-mass energies 161 GeV < sqrt{s} < 209 GeV. The tau-pairs are observed through the associated decay of one tau into e\nu\nu and the other into \pi\pi\nu . The cross sections are measured as a function of sqrt{s}. For muon pairs, the cross section of the \gamma\gamma -> \mu^+\mu^- process is also measured as a function of the two-photon centre-of-mass energy for 3 GeV < W_{\gamma\gamma} < 40 GeV. Good agreement is found between these measurements and the O(\alpha^4) QED expectations. In addition, limits on the anomalous magnetic and electric dipole moments of the tau lepton are extracted.
Exclusive rho^+ rho^- production in two-photon collisions involving a single highly-virtual photon is studied with data collected at LEP at centre-of-mass energies 89 GeV < \sqrt{s} < 209 GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 854.7 pb^-1. The cross section of the process gamma gamma^* -> rho^+ rho^- is determined as a function of the photon virtuality, Q^2, and the two-photon centre-of-mass energy, W_gg, in the kinematic region: 1.2 GeV^2 < Q^2 < 30 GeV^2 and 1.1 GeV < W_gg < 3 GeV. The \rho^+\rho^- production cross section is found to be of the same magnitude as the cross section of the process gamma gamma^* -> rho^0 rho^0, measured in the same kinematic region by L3, and to have similar W_gg and Q^2 dependences.
Measurements of inclusive production of the Lambda, Xi- and Xi*(1530) baryons in two-photon collisions with the L3 detector at LEP are presented. The inclusive differential cross sections for Lambda and Xi- are measured as a function of the baryon transverse momentum, pt, and pseudo-rapidity, eta. The mean number of Lambda, Xi- and Xi*(1530) baryons per hadronic two-photon event is determined in the kinematic range 0.4 GeV < pt< 2.5 GeV, |eta| < 1.2. Overall agreement with the theoretical models and Monte Carlo predictions is observed. A search for inclusive production of the pentaquark theta+(1540) in two-photon collisions through the decay theta+ -> proton K0s is also presented. No evidence for production of this state is found.
Exclusive rho rho production in two-photon collisions involving a single highly virtual photon is studied with data collected at LEP at centre-of-mass energies 89GeV < \sqrt{s} < 209GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 854.7pb^-1 The cross section of the process gamma gamma^* -> rho rho is determined as a function of the photon virtuality, Q^2 and the two-photon centre-of-mass energy, Wgg, in the kinematic region: 1.2GeV^2 < Q^2 < 30GeV^2 and 1.1GeV < Wgg < 3GeV.
The reactions gamma gamma -> pi^+pi^-pi^+pi^- and gamma gamma -> pi^+pi^0pi^-pi^0 are studied with the L3 detector at LEP in a data sample collected at centre-of-mass energies from 161GeV to 209GeV with a total integrated luminosity of 698/pb. A spin-parity-helicity analysis of the rho^0 rho^0 and rho^+ rho^- systems for two-photon centre-of-mass energies between 1GeV and 3GeV shows the dominance of the spin-parity state 2+ with helicity 2. The contribution of 0+ and 0- spin-parity states is also observed, whereas contributions of 2- states and of a state with spin-parity 2+ and zero helicity are found to be negligible.
Exclusive production of π and K meson pairs in two photon collisions is measured with ALEPH data collected between 1992 and 2000. Cross-sections are presented as a function of cos θ ∗ and invariant mass, for | cos θ ∗ |<0.6 and invariant masses between 2.0 and 6.0 GeV/ c 2 (2.25 and 4.0 GeV/ c 2 ) for pions (kaons). The shape of the distributions are found to be well described by QCD predictions but the data have a significantly higher normalization.
Muon pair production in the process e+e- -> e+e-mu+mu- is studied using the data taken at LEP1 (sqrt(s) \simeq m_Z) with the DELPHI detector during the years 1992-1995. The corresponding integrated luminosity is 138.5 pb^{-1}. The QED predictions have been tested over the whole Q^2 range accessible at LEP1 (from several GeV^2/c^4 to several hundred GeV^2/c^4) by comparing experimental distributions with distributions resulting from Monte Carlo simulations using various generators. Selected events are used to extract the leptonic photon structure function F_2^\gamma. Azimuthal correlations are used to obtain information on additional structure functions, F_A^\gamma and F_B^\gamma, which originate from interference terms of the scattering amplitudes. The measured ratios F_A^\gamma/F_2^\gamma and F_B^\gamma/F_2^\gamma are significantly different from zero and consistent with QED predictions.
The hadronic photon structure function $F_2^\gamma(x,Q^2)$ is measured from data taken with the ALEPH detector at LEP. At centre-of-mass energies between