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The process γγ→π+π− was measured using the detector MD-1 at VEPP-4. The two-photon reactionse+e−, μ+ μ− and π+ π− pair production were separated using scintillation counters, Cherenkov counters and shower-range chambers. A radiation widthГγγ(f2(1270))=3.1±0.35±0.35 keV was obtained.
Deep inelastic scattering (DIS) events, selected from 1993 data taken by the H1 experiment at HERA, are studied in the Breit frame of reference. The fragmentation function of the quark is compared with those of \ee data. It is shown that certain aspects of the quarks emerging from within the proton in \ep interactions are essentially the same as those of quarks pair-created from the vacuum in \ee annihilation. The measured area, peak position and widthof the fragmentation function show that the kinematic evolution variable, equivalent to the \ee squared centre of mass energy, is in the Breit frame the invariant square of the four-momentum transfer. We comment on the extent to which we have evidence for coherence effects in parton showers.
Properties of the hadronic final state in photoproduction events with large transverse energy are studied at the electron-proton collider HERA. Distributions of the transverse energy, jets and underlying event energy are compared to $\overline{p}p$ data and QCD calculations. The comparisons show that the $\gamma p$ events can be consistently described by QCD models including -- in addition to the primary hard scattering process -- interactions between the two beam remnants. The differential jet cross sections $d\sigma/dE_T~{jet}$ and $d\sigma/d\eta~{jet}$ are measured.
The production of neutral pions has been studied in the reactions 40 Ar + nat Ca , 86 Kr + nat Zr and 197 Au + 197 Au at 1 A GeV. For high energy pions emitted from the heavier systems a steeper than linear rise of the pion multiplicity with the centrality of the reaction is observed, indicating a pion production process other than binary nucleon-nucleon collisions. At low transverse momenta an enhancement of the π 0 -multiplicity increasing with the mass of the collision system is found. Systematic discrepancies between the experimental results and recent BUU, QMD and Cascade calculations are discussed.
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.
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 of final states involving one or more energetic photons from e + e − collisions is studied in a sample of 58.5 pb −1 of data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV by the ALEPH detector at LEP. The e + e − → ν ν ̄ γ(γ) and e + e − → γγ(γ) cross sections are measured. The data are in good agreement with predictions based on the Standard Model and are used to set upper limits on the cross sections for anomalous photon production in the context of two supersymmetric models and for various extensions to QED. In particular, in the context of a super-light gravitino model a cross section upper limit of 0.38 pb is placed on the process e + e − → G ̃ G ̃ γ , allowing a lower limit to be set on the mass of the gravitino. Limits are also set on the mass of the lightest neutralino in Gauge Mediated Supersymmetry Breaking models. In the case of equal ee ∗ γ and ee γ couplings a 95% C.L. lower limit on M e ∗ of 250 GeV /c 2 is obtained.
The production of W+W- pairs is analysed in a data sample collected by ALEPH at a mean centre-of-mass energy of 182.7 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 57 pb-1. Cross sections are given for different topologies of W decays into leptons or hadrons. Under Standard Model assumptions for the W-pair production and decay, the W-pair cross section is measured to be 15.57+-0.62(stat.)+-0.29(syst.) pb. Using also the W-pair data samples collected by ALEPH at lower centre-of-mass energies, the decay branching ratio of the W boson into hadrons is measured to be B(W->hadrons)= 68.93+-1.21(stat.)+-0.51(syst.)%, allowing a determination of the CKM matrix element |Vcs|= 1.043 +- 0.058(stat.) +- 0.026(syst.). The agreement of the cross sections with the Standard Model prediction allows a limit to be set on the W decay rate to undetectable final states.