A study of the particle multiplicity between jets with large rapidity separation has been performed using the D\O\ detector at the Fermilab Tevatron $p\bar{p}$ Collider operating at $\sqrt{s}=1.8$\,TeV. A significant excess of low-multiplicity events is observed above the expectation for color-exchange processes. The measured fractional excess is $1.07 \pm 0.10({\rm stat})~{ + 0.25}_{- 0.13}({\rm syst})\%$, which is consistent with a strongly-interacting color-singlet (colorless) exchange process and cannot be explained by electroweak exchange alone. A lower limit of $0.80\%$ (95\% C.L.) is obtained on the fraction of dijet events with color-singlet exchange, independent of the rapidity gap survival probability.

The total cross sections for the elastic electroproduction of $\rh0$ and $J/\Psi$ mesons for $Q~2$ $>$ 8 GeV$~2$ and $\langle W \rangle \simeq 90$ GeV/c$~2$ are measured at HERA with the H1 detector. The measurements are for an integrated electron$-$proton luminosity of $\simeq$3pb$~{-1}$. The dependences of the total virtual photon$-$proton ($\gamma~* p$) cross sections on $Q~2$, $W$ and the momentum transfer squared to the proton ($t$), and, for the $\rho$, the dependence on the polar decay angle ($\cos \theta~*$), are presented. The $J/\Psi$ : $\rh0$ cross section ratio is determined. The results are discussed in the light of theoretical models and of the interplay of hard and soft physics processes.

The production rates of the $J_{P}={1⩈er 2}^{+}$ octet Σ baryons in hadronic Z0 decays have been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The inclusive production rates per hadronic Z0 decay of the three isospin states (including the respective antiparticle) have been separately measured for the first time: $άtrix {n_{Sigma^{+}}=0.099pm 0.008pm 0.013ŗ n_{Sigma^{0}}=0.071pm 0.012pm 0.013ŗ n_{Sigma^{-}}=0.083pm 0.006pm 0.009ŗ}$ where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic. Differential cross-sections are also presented for the Σ+ and Σ− and compared with JETSET and HERWIG predictions. Assuming full isospin symmetry, the average inclusive rate is: ${1⩈er 3}[n_{Sigma^{+}+Sigma^{0}+Sigma^{-}}]=0.084pm 0.005 ({⤪ stat.}) pm 0.008 ({⤪ syst.})$.

We report on a measurement of the branching fraction of the Cabibbo-suppressed decay Bu+→J/ψπ+, where J/ψ→μ+μ−. The data were collected by the Collider Detector at Fermilab during 1992–1995 and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 110pb−1 in p¯p collisions at s=1.8TeV. A signal of 28−9+10 events is observed and we determine the ratio of branching fractions B(Bu+→J/ψπ+)/B(Bu+→J/ψK+) to be [5.0−1.7+1.9(stat)±0.1(syst)]%. Using the world average value for B(Bu+→J/ψK+), we calculate the branching fraction B(Bu+→J/ψπ+) to be (5.0−1.9+2.1)×10−5. We also search for the decay Bc+→J/ψπ+ and report a 95% confidence level limit on σ(Bc+)B(Bc+→J/ψπ+)/σ(Bu+)B(Bu+→J/ψK+) as a function of the Bc+ lifetime.

This paper describes an update of the double tagging measurement of the fraction, Rb, of Z0 → bb̅ events in hadronic Z0 decays, with statistics improved by including the data collected in 1994. The presence of electrons or muons from semileptonic decays of bottom hadrons and the detection of bottom hadron decay vertices were used together to obtain an event sample enriched in Z0 → bb̅ decays. The efficiency of the bb̅ event tagging was obtained from the data by comparing the numbers of events having a bottom signature in either one or both thrust hemispheres. Efficiency correlations between opposite event hemispheres are small (< 0.5%) and well understood through comparisons between the real and simulated data samples. A value of Rb= 0.2175 ± 0.0014 ± 0.0017 was obtained, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The uncertainty on the decay width Γ(Z0 → cc̅) is not included in these errors. The result depends on Rc as follows: $${⩼ Delta R_{⤪ b}⩈er R_{⤪ b}}=-0.084{⩼ Delta R_{⤪ c}⩈er R_{⤪ c}},$$ where ΔRc is the deviation of Rc from the value 0.172 predicted by the Standard Model.

Measurements of helicity density matrix elements have been made for the φ(1020), D*± and B* vector mesons in multihadronic Z0 decays in the OPAL experiment at LEP. Results for inclusive φ produced with high energy show evidence for production preferentially in the helicity zero state, with ρ00 = 0.54 ± 0.08, compared to the value of 1/3 expected for no spin alignment. The corresponding element for the D*± has a value of 0.40 ± 0.02, also suggesting a deviation from 1/3. The B* result, with ρ00 = 0.36 ± 0.09, is consistent with no spin alignment. Off-diagonal elements have been measured for the f and D* mesons; for the D* the element Re ρ1−1 is non-zero, indicating non-independent fragmentation of the primary quarks.

Quasi-elastic (z >0.95) photo-production of psi' mesons has been observed at HERA for photon-proton centre-of-mass energies in the range 40 to 160 GeV. The psi' mesons were identified through their decays to l+l- and to J/psi pi+ pi-, where the J/psi subsequently decays to l+l-, the lepton l being either a muon or an electron. The cross-section for quasi-elastic photoproduction was measured to be [18.0 +- 2.8 (stat) +- 3.0(syst)] nb at a photon-proton centre-of-mass energy of 80 GeV. The ratio of the psi' to J/psi quasi-elastic cross-sections is 0.150 +- 0.027 (stat) +- 0.022 (syst).

Di-jet event rates have been measured for deep-inelastic scattering in the kinematic domain ~5 < Q^2 < ~100 GeV^2 and ~10^(-4) < x_Bj < ~10^(-2), and for jet transverse momenta squared p_t^2 > ~Q^2. The analysis is based on data collected with the H1 detector at HERA in 1994 corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 2 pb^(-1). Jets are defined using a cone algorithm in the photon-proton centre of mass system requiring jet transverse momenta of at least 5 GeV. The di-jet event rates are shown as a function of Q^2 and x_Bj. Leading order models of point-like interacting photons fail to describe the data. Models which add resolved interacting photons or which implement the colour dipole model give a good description of the di-jet event rate. This is also the case for next-to-leading order calculations including contributions from direct and resolved photons.

The fraction of Z to bbbar events in hadronic Z decays has been measured by the OPAL experiment using the data collected at LEP between 1992 and 1995. The Z to bbbar decays were tagged using displaced secondary vertices, and high momentum electrons and muons. Systematic uncertainties were reduced by measuring the b-tagging efficiency using a double tagging technique. Efficiency correlations between opposite hemispheres of an event are small, and are well understood through comparisons between real and simulated data samples. A value of Rb = 0.2178 +- 0.0011 +- 0.0013 was obtained, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The uncertainty on Rc, the fraction of Z to ccbar events in hadronic Z decays, is not included in the errors. The dependence on Rc is Delta(Rb)/Rb = -0.056*Delta(Rc)/Rc where Delta(Rc) is the deviation of Rc from the value 0.172 predicted by the Standard Model. The result for Rb agrees with the value of 0.2155 +- 0.0003 predicted by the Standard Model.

DO has measured the inclusive production cross section of W and Z bosons in a sample of 13 pb$^{-1}$ of data collected at the Fermilab Tevatron. The cross sections, multiplied by their leptonic branching fractions, for production in pbar-p collisions at sqrt{s}=1.8 TeV are sigma_W*B(W->e nu) = 2.36+-0.02+-0.08+-0.13 nb, sigma_W*B(W->mu nu) = 2.09+-0.06+-0.22+-0.11 nb, sigma_Z*B(Z->e+ e-) = 0.218+-0.008+-0.008+-0.012 nb, and sigma_Z*B(Z->mu+ mu-) = 0.178+-0.022+-0.021+-0.009 nb, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second systematic; the third reflects the uncertainty in the integrated luminosity. For the combined electron and muon analyses, we find sigma_W*B(W->l mu)/sigma_Z*B(Z->l+ l-) = 10.90+-0.52. Assuming standard model couplings, we use this result to determine the width of the W boson, and obtain Gamma(W) = 2.044+-0.097 GeV.