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).
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.
The cross sections and forward-backward asymmetries of hadronic and leptonic events produced in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130-183 GeV are presented. Results for ee, mumu, tautau, qq, bb and cc production show no significant deviation from the Standard Model predictions. This enable constraints to be set upon physics beyond the Standard Model such as four-fermion contact interactions, leptoquarks, Z' bosons and R-parity violating squarks and sneutrinos. Limits on the energy scale Lambda of eeff contact interactions are typically in the range from 2-10 TeV. Limits on R-parity violating sneutrinos reach masses of a few hundred GeV for large values of their Yukawa couplings.
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.
Single W production is studied in the data recorded with the ALEPH detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 161 and 183 GeV. The cross section is measured to be σ W =0.41±0.17(stat.)±0.04(syst.) pb at 183 GeV, consistent with the Standard Model expectation. Limits on non-standard WW γ couplings are deduced as −1.6<κ γ <1.5 (λ γ =0) and −1.6<λ γ <1.6 (κ γ =1) at 95% C.L. A search for effectively invisible decays of the W boson in W pair production is performed, leading to an upper limit on the branching ratio of 1.3% ( Γ inv =27 MeV ) at 95% C.L.
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