arXiv subjects

K. Ackerstaff et al

Publications and source records attributed to K. Ackerstaff et al.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv1998

Search for Scalar Top and Scalar Bottom Quarks at sqrt(s) = 183 GeV at LEP

Searches for a scalar top quark and a scalar bottom quark have been performed using a total data sample of 56.8 pb-1 at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. No candidate events were observed. Combining this result with those obtained at lower centre-of-mass energies, the 95% C.L. lower limit on the scalar top quark mass is 85.0 GeV if the mixing angle between the supersymmetric partners of the left- and right-handed states of the top quark is zero. The lower limit is 81.3 GeV, even if the scalar top quark decouples from the Z boson. These limits were obtained assuming that the scalar top quark decays into a charm quark and the lightest neutralino, and that the mass difference between the scalar top quark and the lightest neutralino is larger than 10 GeV. Assuming a relatively light scalar neutrino, The complementary decay mode of the scalar top quark in which it decays into a bottom quark, a charged lepton and a scalar neutrino was also studied. From a similar analysis, a mass limit on the light scalar bottom quark was set at 82.7 GeV for a mass difference between the scalar bottom quark and the lightest neutralino larger than 7 GeV, and at 84.0 GeV for the mass difference larger 10 GeV and the lightest neutralino heavier than 30 GeV. These limits were obtained assuming that the scalar bottom quark decays into a bottom quark and the lightest neutralino, and that a mixing angle between the supersymmetric partners of the left- and right-handed states of the bottom quark is zero.

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arXiv1998

Production of Chi_c2 Mesons in Photon-Photon Collisions at LEP

We present an observation at LEP of the production of chi_c2 mesons in the collisions of two quasi-real photons using the OPAL detector. The chi_c2 mesons are reconstructed in the decay channel Chi_c2 to J/psi gamma to l+l- gamma (with l= e,mu) using all data taken at e+e- centre-of-mass energies of 91 and 183 GeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of 167 and 55 pb-1 respectively. The two-photon width of the Chi_2 is determined to be 1.76 +- 0.47 +- 0.37 +- 0.15 keV where the first error is statistical, the second is systematic and the third comes from branching ratio uncertainties.

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arXiv1998

Measurement of the Strong Coupling Constant and the Vector and Axial-Vector Spectral Functions in Hadronic Tau Decays

The spectral functions of the vector current and the axial-vector current have been measured in hadronic tau decays using the OPAL detector at LEP. Within the framework of the Operator Product Expansion a simultaneous determination of the strong coupling constant alpha_s, the non-perturbative operators of dimension 6 and 8 and of the gluon condensate has been performed. Different perturbative descriptions have been compared to the data. The Contour Improved Fixed Order Perturbation Theory gives alpha_s(mtau**2) = 0.348 +- 0.009 +- 0.019 at the tau-mass scale and alpha_s(mz**2) = 0.1219 +- 0.0010 +- 0.0017 at the Z-mass scale. The values obtained for alpha_s(mz**2) using Fixed Order Perturbation Theory or Renormalon Chain Resummation are 2.3% and 4.1% smaller, respectively. The running of the strong coupling between s_0 ~1.3 GeV**2 and s_0 = mtau**2 has been tested from direct fits to the integrated differential hadronic decay rate R_tau. A test of the saturation of QCD sum rules at the tau-mass scale has been performed.

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arXiv1998

Measurement of the Michel Parameters in Leptonic Tau Decays

The Michel parameters of the leptonic tau decays are measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The Michel parameters are extracted from the energy spectra of the charged decay leptons and from their energy-energy correlations. A new method involving a global likelihood fit of Monte Carlo generated events with complete detector simulation and background treatment has been applied to the data recorded at center-of-mass energies close to sqrt(s) = M(Z) corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 155 pb-1 during the years 1990 to 1995. If e-mu universality is assumed and inferring the tau polarization from neutral current data, the measured Michel parameters are extracted. Limits on non-standard coupling constants and on the masses of new gauge bosons are obtained. The results are in agreement with the V-A prediction of the Standard Model.

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arXiv1998

Search for Higgs Bosons and New Particles Decaying into Two Photons at sqrt(s) = 183 GeV

A search for the resonant production of high mass photon pairs associated with a leptonic or hadronic system has been performed using a data sample of 57.7 pb-1 collected at an average center-of-mass energy of 182.6 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence for contributions from non-Standard Model physics processes was observed. The observed candidates are used to place limits on BR (H to gamma gamma) assuming a Standard Model production rate for Higgs boson masses up to 92 GeV, and on the production cross section for a scalar resonance decaying into di-photons up to a mass of 170 GeV. Upper limits on the product of cross section and branching ratios, sigma(e+e- to XY) * BR(X to gamma gamma) * BR(Y to f fbar) as low as 70fb are obtained over the M(X) range 10 - 170 GeV for the case where 10 < M(Y) < 160 GeV and M(X)+M(Y) > 90 GeV, independent of the nature of Y provided it decays to a fermion pair and has negligible width. Higgs scalars which couple only to gauge bosons at Standard Model strength are ruled out up to a mass of 90.0 GeV at the 95% confidence level. Limits are also placed on non-minimal Higgs sectors having triplet representations.

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arXiv1998

Multi-photon production in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s) = 183 GeV

The process e+e- to gamma gamma (gamma) is studied using data recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data sample corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 56.2 pb-1 taken at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The measured cross-section agrees well with the expectation from QED. A fit to the angular distribution is used to obtain improved limits at 95% CL on the QED cut-off parameters: Lambda+ > 233 GeV and Lambda- > 265 GeV as well as a mass limit for an excited electron, M(e*) > 227 GeV assuming equal e*egamma and eegamma couplings. No evidence for resonance production is found in the invariant mass spectrum of photon pairs. Limits are obtained for the cross-section times branching ratio for a resonance decaying into two photons.

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arXiv1998

Measurement of Tau Branching Ratios to Five Charged Hadrons

The branching ratios of the decay of the tau lepton to five charged hadrons have been measured with the OPAL detector at LEP using data collected between 1991 and 1995 at e+e- centre-of-mass energies close to the Z resonance. The branching ratios are measured to be BR(tau- to 3h-2h+nutau) = 0.091+-0.014+-0.005% BR(tau- to 3h-2h+pi0nutau) = 0.027+-0.018+-0.007% where the first error is statistical and the second systematic.

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arXiv1998

Inclusive Production of Charged Hadrons and K_s Mesons in Photon-Photon Collisions

The production of charged hadrons and K_s mesons in the collisions of quasi-real photons has been measured using the OPAL detector at LEP. The data were taken at e+e- centre-of-mass energies of 161 and 172 GeV. The differential cross-sections as a function of the transverse momentum and the pseudorapidity of the charged hadrons and K_s mesons have been compared to the leading order Monte Carlo simulations of PHOJET and PYTHIA and to perturbative next-to-leading order (NLO) QCD calculations. The distributions have been measured in the range 10-125 GeV of the hadronic invariant mass W. By comparing the transverse momentum distribution of charged hadrons measured in gamma-gamma interactions with gamma-proton and meson-proton data we find evidence for hard photon interactions in addition to the purely hadronic photon interactions.

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arXiv1998

Measurements of Flavour Dependent Fragmentation Functions in Z^0 -> qq(bar) Events

Fragmentation functions for charged particles in Z -> qq(bar) events have been measured for bottom (b), charm (c) and light (uds) quarks as well as for all flavours together. The results are based on data recorded between 1990 and 1995 using the OPAL detector at LEP. Event samples with different flavour compositions were formed using reconstructed D* mesons and secondary vertices. The ξ_p = ln(1/x_E) distributions and the position of their maxima ξ_max are also presented separately for uds, c and b quark events. The fragmentation function for b quarks is significantly softer than for uds quarks.

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arXiv1998

Bose-Einstein Correlations of Three Charged Pions in Hadronic Z^0 Decays

Bose-Einstein Correlations (BEC) of three identical charged pions were studied in 4 x 10^6 hadronic Z^0 decays recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP. The genuine three-pion correlations, corrected for the Coulomb effect, were separated from the known two-pion correlations by a new subtraction procedure. A significant genuine three-pion BEC enhancement near threshold was observed having an emitter source radius of r_3 = 0.580 +/- 0.004 (stat.) +/- 0.029 (syst.) fm and a strength of λ_3 = 0.504 +/- 0.010 (stat.) +/- 0.041 (syst.). The Coulomb correction was found to increase the λ_3 value by \~9% and to reduce r_3 by ~6%. The measured λ_3 corresponds to a value of 0.707 +/- 0.014 (stat.) +/- 0.078 (syst.) when one takes into account the three-pion sample purity. A relation between the two-pion and the three-pion source parameters is discussed.

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arXiv1998

An upper limit for the tau-neutrino mass from tau --> 5 pi+- nu_tau decays

An upper limit for the tau-neutrino mass has been determined from the decay tau -> 5pi+- ν_tau using data collected with the OPAL detector from 1991 to 1995 in e+e- collisions at \sqrt{s} ~ M_Z. A limit of 43.2 MeV at 95% CL is obtained using a two-dimensional method in the 5pi invariant mass and energy distribution from 22 selected events. Combining this result with OPAL's previously published measurement using tau+tau- -> 3h+- \bar{nu}_tau 3h-+ ν_tau decays, a new combined limit of m_{nu_tau} < 27.6 MeV (95% CL) is obtained.

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arXiv1998

Production of K^0_S and Lambda in Quark and Gluon Jets from Z^0 Decay

The production of K^0_S mesons and Lambda baryons in quark and gluon jets has been investigated using two complementary techniques. In the first approach, which provides high statistical accuracy, jets were selected using different jet finding algorithms and ordered according to their energy. Production rates were determined taking into account the dependences of quark and gluon compositions as a function of jet energy as predicted by Monte Carlo models. Selecting three-jet events with the k_perp (Durham) jet finder (y_cut = 0.005), the ratios of K^0_S and Lambda production rates in gluon and quark jets relative to the mean charged particle multiplicity were found to be 1.10 +/- 0.02 +/- 0.02 and 1.41 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.04, respectively, where the first uncertainty is statistical and the second is systematic. In the second approach, a new method of identifying quark jets based on the collimation of energy flow around the jet axis is introduced and was used to anti-tag gluon jets in symmetric (Y-shaped) three-jet events. Using the cone jet finding algorithm with a cone size of 30 degrees, the ratios of relative production rates in gluon and quark jets were determined to be 0.94 +/- 0.07 +/- 0.07 for K^0_S and 1.18 +/- 0.10 +/- 0.17 for Lambda. The results of both analyses are compared to the predictions of Monte Carlo models.

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arXiv1998

Photon and Light Meson Production in Hadronic Z^0 Decays

The inclusive production rates and differential cross-sections of photons and mesons with a final state containing photons have been measured with the OPAL detector at LEP. The light mesons covered by the measurements are the π^0, η, ρ(770)+-, ω(782), η'(958) and a_0(980)+-. The particle multiplicities per hadronic Z^0 decay, extrapolated to the full energy range, are: = 20.97 +/- 0.02 +/- 1.15, = 9.55 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.75, = 0.97 +/- 0.03 +/- 0.11, = 2.40 +/- 0.06 +/- 0.43, = 1.04 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.14, = 0.14 +/- 0.01 +/- 0.02, = 0.27 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.10. where the first errors are statistical and the second systematic. In general, the results are in agreement with the predictions of the JETSET and HERWIG Monte Carlo models.

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arXiv1998

Search for Stable and Long-Lived Massive Charged Particles with the OPAL Detector at LEP in e+e- Collisions at \sqrt{s}=130-183 GeV

A search for stable and long-lived massive particles of electric charge |Q/e| = 1 or 2/3, pair-produced in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies from 130 to 183 GeV, is reported by the OPAL collaboration at LEP. No evidence for production of these particles was observed in a mass range between 45 and 89.5 GeV. Model-independent upper limits on the production cross-section between 0.05 and 0.19 pb have been derived for scalar and spin-1/2 particles with charge +/-1. Within the framework of the minimal supersymmetric model (MSSM), this implies a lower limit of 82.5 (83.5) GeV on the mass of long-lived right- (left-)handed scalar muons and scalar taus. Long-lived charged leptons and charginos are excluded for masses below 89.5 GeV. For particles with charge +/-2/3 the upper limits on the production cross-section vary between 0.05 and 0.2 pb. All limits, on masses and on cross-sections, are valid at the 95% confidence level for particles with lifetimes longer than 10^{-6} s.

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arXiv1998

An upper limit on the anomalous magnetic moment of the τlepton

Using radiative Z^0 -> τ^+ τ^- γevents collected with the OPAL detector at LEP at \sqrt{s}= M_Z during 1990-95, a direct study of the electromagnetic current at the τγvertex has been performed in terms of the anomalous magnetic form factor F_2 of the τlepton. The analysis is based on a data sample of 1429 e^+ e^- -> τ^+ τ^- γevents which are examined for a deviation from the expectation with F_2 = 0. From the non-observation of anomalous τ^+ τ^- γproduction a limit of -0.068 < F_2 < 0.065 is obtained. This can also be interpreted as a limit on the electric dipole form factor F_3 as -3.8 x 10^-16 e-cm < eF_3 < 3.6 x 10^-16 e-cm. The above ranges are valid at the 95% confidence level.

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arXiv1998

A Search for Neutral Higgs Bosons in the MSSM and Models with Two Scalar Field Doublets

A search is described for the neutral Higgs bosons h^0 and A^0 predicted by models with two scalar field doublets and, in particular, the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM). The search in the Z^0 h^0 and h^0 A^0 production channels is based on data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 25 pb^{-1} from e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 172 GeV collected with the OPAL detector at LEP. The observation of a number of candidates consistent with Standard Model background expectations is used in combination with earlier results from data collected at the Z^0 resonance to set limits on m_h and m_A in general models with two scalar field doublets and in the MSSM. For example, in the MSSM, for tan(beta) > 1, minimal and maximal scalar top quark mixing and soft SUSY-breaking masses of 1 TeV, the 95% confidence level limits m_h > 59.0 GeV and m_A > 59.5 GeV are obtained. For the first time, the MSSM parameter space is explored in a detailed scan.

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arXiv1998

Search for an Excess in the Production of Four-Jet Events from e^+e^- Collisions at \sqrt{s} = 130-184 GeV

Events with four distinct jets from e^+e^- collisions, collected by the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 184 GeV, are analysed for a peak in the sum of dijet masses. This search is motivated by the ALEPH Collaboration's observation of a clear excess of events with dijet mass sums close to 105 GeV in data taken at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV in 1995. We have observed no significant excess of four-jet events compared to the Standard Model expectation for any dijet mass sum at any energy. Our observation is inconsistent with the excess observed by ALEPH in 1995. Upper limits are determined on the production cross-section as a function of the dijet mass sum.

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arXiv1998

Production of f_0(980), f_2(1270) and ϕ(1020) in hadronic Z^0 decay

Inclusive production of the f_0(980), f_2(1270) and ϕ(1020) resonances has been studied in a sample of 4.3 million hadronic Z^0 decays from the OPAL experiment at LEP. A coupled channel analysis has been used for the f_0 in simultaneous fits to the resonances in inclusive π+π- and K+K- mass spectra. Fragmentation functions are reported for the three states. Total inclusive rates are measured to be 0.141 +/- 0.007 +/- 0.011 f_0, 0.155 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.018 f_2, and 0.091 +/- 0.002 +/- 0.003 ϕmesons per hadronic Z^0 decay. The production properties of the f_0, including those in three-jet events, are compared with those of the f_2 and ϕ, and with the Lund string model of hadron production. All measurements are consistent with the hypothesis that the f_0 is a conventional qq(bar) scalar meson.

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