The inclusive branching ratio for the process b -> tau nu X has been measured using hadronic Z decays collected by the OPAL experiment at LEP in the years 1992-2000. The result is: BR(b -> tau nu X) = (2.78 +/- 0.18 +/- 0.51)% This measurement is consistent with the Standard Model expectation and puts a constraint of tan(beta) / M(H+/-) < 0.53 GeV-1 at the 95% confidence level on Type II Two Higgs Doublet Models.

This paper describes an analysis of sub-jet multiplicities, which are expected to be sensitive to the properties of soft gluon radiation, in hadronic decays of theZ0. Two- and three-jet event samples are selected using thek⊥ jet clustering algorithm at a jet resolution scaley1. The mean sub-jet multiplicity as a function of the sub-jet resolution,y0, is determined separately for both event samples by reapplying the same jet algorithm at resolution scalesy0<y1. These measurements are compared with recent perturbative QCD calculations based on the summation of leading and next-to-leading logarithms, and with QCD Monte Carlo models. The analytic calculations provide a good description of the sub-jet multiplicity seen in three- and two-jet mvents in the perturbative region (y0≈y1)), and the measured form of the data is in agreement with the expectation based on coherence of soft gluon radiation. The analysis provides good discrimination between Monte Carlo models, and those with a coherent parton shower are preferred by the data. The analysis suggests that coherence effects are present in the data.

We describe a cone-based jet finding algorithm (similar to that used in\(\bar p\)p experiments), which we have applied to hadronic events recorded using the OPAL detector at LEP. Comparisons are made between jets defined with the cone algorithm and jets found by the “JADE” and “Durham” jet finders usually used ine+e− experiments. Measured jet rates, as a function of the cone size and as a function of the minimum jet energy, have been compared with O(αs2) calculations, from which two complementary measurements\(\alpha _s \left( {M_{Z^0 } } \right)\) have been made. The results are\(\alpha _s \left( {M_{Z^0 } } \right)\)=0.116±0.008 and\(\alpha _s \left( {M_{Z^0 } } \right)\)=0.119±0.008 respectively, where the errors include both experimental and theoretical uncertainties. Measurements are presented of the energy flow inside jets defined using the cone algorithm, and compared with equivalent data from\(\bar p\)p interactions, reported by the CDF collaboration. We find that the jets ine+e− are significantly narrower than those observed in\(\bar p\)p. The main contribution to this effect appears to arise from differences between quark- and gluon-induced jets.

The inclusive production rates of π±,K± andp\(\bar p\) inZ0 decays have been measured with the OPAL detector at LEP. Using the energy loss measurement in the jet chamber, the momentum range up to the beam energy (45.6 GeV/c) has been covered. Differential cross sections and total particle yields are given. Comparisons of the inclusive momentum spectra and the total rates with predictions of the JETSET and the HERWIG Monte Carlo model are presented. The total single rates are found to be 17.05±0.43 π±, 2.42±0.13K± and 0.92±0.11p\(\bar p\) per hadronic event. Predictions of JETSET for cross sections and total rates agree very well for π±; however, for momenta greater than 4 GeV/c,K± rates are underestimated and\(\bar p\) rates are overestimated. Combined with data of other particle species there is evidence that the peak positions in the ξ=ln(1/xp) distributions show a different mass dependence for mesons and baryons. However, both JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo predictions agree with the observed data.

We have used data from the OPAL detector at LEP to reconstruct D ∗ mesons and secondary vertices in jets. We have studied the hemispheres of the events opposite these jets and obtain values of the hemisphere charged particle multiplicity in Z 0 → u u , d d , s s , Z 0 → c c and Z 0 → b b events of n uds = 10.41 ± 0.06 ± 0.09 ± 0.19 ; n c = 10.76 ± 0.20 ± 0.14 ± 0.19 ; n b = 11.81 ± 0.01 ± 0.12 ± 0.21 where the first errors are statistical, the second systmatic and the third a common scale uncertainty. We find the difference in total charged particle multiplicity between c and b quark events and light (u, d, s) quark events to be δ cl = 0.69 ± 0.51 ± 0.35; δ bl = 2.79 ± 0.12 ± 0.27. These results are compared to the predictions of various models and QCD based calculations.

We have studied the production of D*± mesons in a sample of 1.25 million multihadronic decays of the Z0, in which 1969 candidates have been identified. We have determined the total multiplicity of charged D* mesons in multihadronic Z0 decays to be

The production of neutral kaons in e+e− annihilation at centre-of-mass energies in the region of the Z0 mass and their Bose-Einstein correlations are investigated with the OPAL detector at LEP. A total of about 1.26×106 Z0 hadronic decay events are used in the analysis. The production rate of K0 mesons is found to be 1.99±0.01±0.04 per hadronic event, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. Both the rate and the differential cross section for K0 production are compared to the predictions of Monte Carlo generators. This comparison indicates that the fragmentation is too soft in bothJetset andHerwig. Bose-Einstein correlations in Ks0Ks0 pairs are measured through the quantityQ, the four momentum difference of the pair. A threshold enhancement is observed in Ks0Ks0 pairs originating from a mixed sample of\(K^0 \bar K^0\) and K0K0 (\(\bar K^0 \bar K^0\)) pairs. For the strength of the effect and for the radius of the emitting source we find values of λ=1.14±0.23±0.32 andR0=(0.76±0.10±0.11) fm respectively. The first error is statistical and the second systematic.

A study of b quark fragmentation at LEP is presented using a sample of semileptonic B decays containing a fully reconstructed charm meson. The data are compared to several theoretical models for heavy quark fragmentation; the free parameters in these models are fitted and the sensitivity of the model parameters to the rate of P-wave B meson production is studied. The mean scaled energy fraction of B 0 and B + mesons has been determined to be < x E > = 0.695 ± 0.006 ± 0.003 ± 0.007, where the errors are statistical, systematic and model dependence respectively. This result is consistent with previous, less direct measurements from inclusive leptonic B decays. Also presented is a model independent fit to the shape of the energy distribution of weakly decaying B mesons at LEP.

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Symmetric three-jet events are selected from hadronic Z0 decays such that the two lower energy jets are each produced at an angle of about 150° with respect to the highest energy jet. In some cases, a displaced secondary vertex is reconstructed in one of the two lower energy jets, which permits the other lower energy jet to be identified as a gluon jet through anti-tagging. In other cases, the highest energy jet is tagged as a b jet or as a light quark (uds) jet using secondary vertex or track impact parameter and momentum information. Comparing the two lower energy jets of the events with a tag in the highest energy jet to the anti-tagged gluon jets yields a direct comparison of b, uds and gluon jets, which are produced with the same energy of about 24 GeV and under the same conditions. We observe b jets and gluon jets to have similar properties as measured by the angular distribution of particle energy around the jet directions and by the fragmentation functions. In contrast, gluon jets are found to be significantly broader and to have a markedly softer fragmentation function than uds jets. For the k⊥ jet finder with ycut=0.02, we find $${«ngle n^{⤪ ch.}»ngle {⤪ gluon}⩈er «ngle n^{⤪ ch.}»ngle {⤪ b} {⤪ quark}}=1.089pm 0.024 ({⤪ stat.})pm0.024 ({⤪ syst.})$$ $${«ngle n^{⤪ ch.}»ngle {⤪ gluon}⩈er «ngle n^{⤪ ch.}»ngle {⤪ uds} {⤪ quark}}=1.390pm 0.038 ({⤪ stat.})pm0.032 ({⤪ syst.})$$ as the ratios of the mean charged particle multiplicity in the gluon jets compared to the b and uds jets. Results are also reported using the cone jet finder.