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The OPAL collaboration

Publications and source records attributed to The OPAL collaboration.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
arXiv2000

Two Higgs Doublet Model and Model Independent Interpretation of Neutral Higgs Boson Searches

Searches for the neutral Higgs bosons h0 and A0, are used to obtain limits on the Type II Two Higgs Doublet Model (2HDM(II)) with no CP-violation in the Higgs sector and no additional particles besides the five Higgs bosons. The analysis combines approximately 170 pb-1 of data collected with the OPAL detector at sqrt{s} ~ 189 GeV with previous runs at sqrt{s} ~ mZ and sqrt{s} ~ 183 GeV. The searches are sensitive to the h0, A0 -> qq, gg, tau+tau- and h0 -> A0A0 decay modes of the Higgs bosons. For the first time, the 2HDM(II) parameter space is explored in a detailed scan, and new flavour independent analyses are applied to examine regions in which the neutral Higgs bosons decay predominantly into light quarks or gluons. Model-independent limits are also given.

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arXiv2000

Search for Trilinear Neutral Gauge Boson Couplings in Z-gamma production at sqrt(s)=189GeV at LEP

The data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of 189GeV by the OPAL detector at LEP are used to search for trilinear couplings of the neutral gauge bosons in the process e+e- --> Z-gamma. The cross-sections are measured for multihadronic events with an energetic isolated photon and for events with a high energy photon accompanied by missing energy. These cross-sections and the photon energy, polar angle and isolation angle distributions are compared to the Standard Model predictions and to the theoretical expectations of a model allowing for Z-gamma-Z and Z-gamma-gamma vertices. Since no significant deviations with respect to the Standard Model expectations are found, constraints are derived on the strength of neutral trilinear gauge couplings.

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arXiv2000

Multiplicities of pizero, eta, Kzero and of charged particles in quark and gluon jets

We compared the multiplicities of pizero, eta, Kzero and of charged particles in quark and gluon jets in 3-jet events, as measured by the OPAL experiment at LEP. The comparisons were performed for distributions unfolded to 100% pure quark and gluon jets, at an effective scale Qjet which took into account topological dependences of the 3-jet environment. The ratio of particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets as a function of Qjet for pizero, eta and Kzero was found to be independent of the particle species. This is consistent with the QCD prediction that the observed enhancement in the mean particle rate in gluon jets with respect to quark jets should be independent of particle species. In contrast to some theoretical predictions and previous observations, we observed no evidence for an enhancement of eta meson production in gluon jets with respect to quark jets, beyond that observed for charged particles. We measured the ratio of the slope of the average charged particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets, C, and we compared it to a next-to-next-to-next-to leading order calculation. Our result, C=2.27+-0.20(stat+syst),is about one standard deviation higher than the perturbative prediction.

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arXiv2000

Measurement of the Low-x Behaviour of the Photon Structure Function F2-gamma

The photon structure function F2-gamma(x,Q**2) has been measured using data taken by the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies of 91Gev, 183Gev and 189Gev, in Q**2 ranges of 1.5 to 30.0 GeV**2 (LEP1), and 7.0 to 30.0 GeV**2 (LEP2), probing lower values of x than ever before. Since previous OPAL analyses, new Monte Carlo models and new methods, such as multi-variable unfolding, have been introduced, reducing significantly the model dependent systematic errors in the measurement.

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arXiv2000

Z boson pair production in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s) = 183 and 189 GeV

A study of Z boson pair production in e+e- annihilation at center-of-mass energies near 183 GeV and 189 GeV is reported. Final states containing only leptons, (l+l-l+l- and l+l-nu nubar), quark and lepton pairs, (q qbar l+l-, q qbar nu nubar) and the all-hadronic final state (q qbar q qbar) are considered. In all states with at least one Z boson decaying hadronically, q qbar and b bbar final states are considered separately using lifetime and event-shape tags, thereby improving the cross-section measurement. At sqrt(s) = 189 GeV the Z-pair cross section was measured to be 0.80 (+0.14-0.13, stat.) (+0.06-0.05, syst.) pb, consistent with the Standard Model prediction. At sqrt(s) = 183 GeV the 95% C.L. upper limit is 0.55 pb. Limits on anomalous ZZgamma and ZZZ couplings are derived.

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arXiv2000

Measurement of |Vcb| using B0 to D*l nu decays

The magnitude of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix element Vcb has been measured using B0 to D*l nu decays recorded on the Z0 peak using the OPAL detector at LEP. The D* to D0 pi+ decays were reconstructed both in the particular decay modes D0 to K- pi+ and D0 to K- pi+ pi- and via an inclusive technique. The product of |Vcb| and the decay form factor of the B0 to D* l nu transition at zero recoil F(1) was measured to be F(1)|Vcb| = (37.1+-1.0+-2.0)x10^-3, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic respectively. By using Heavy Quark Effective Theory calculations for F(1), a value of |Vcb| = (40.7+-1.1+-2.2+-1.6)x 10^-3 was obtained, where the third error is due to theoretical uncertainties in the value of F(1). The branching ratio Br(B0 to D* l nu) was also measured to be (5.26+-0.20+-0.46)%.

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arXiv2000

Measurements of R_b, A_FB^b and A_FB^c in e+e- Collisions at 130-189 GeV

The cross-section ratio Rb=sigma(e+e- to b-antib)/sigma(e+e- to q-antiq) and the bottom and charm forward-backward asymmetries AFB^b and AFB^c are measured using event samples collected by the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 189 GeV. Events with bottom quark production are selected with a secondary vertex tag, and a hemisphere charge algorithm is used to extract AFB^b. In addition, the bottom and charm asymmetries are measured using leptons from semileptonic decays of heavy hadrons and pions from D*+ to D0pi+ decays. The results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions.

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arXiv2000

QCD studies with e+e- annihilation data at 172-189 GeV

We have studied hadronic events from e+e- annihilation data at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt{s}=172, 183 and 189 GeV. The total integrated luminosity of the three samples, measured with the OPAL detector, corresponds to 250 pb^-1. We present distributions of event shape variables, charged particle multiplicity and momentum, measured separately in the three data samples. From these we extract measurements of the strong coupling alpha_s, the mean charged particle multiplicity and the peak position xi_0 in the xi_p=ln(1/x_p) distribution. In general the data are described well by analytic QCD calculations and Monte Carlo models. Our measured values of alpha_s, and xi_0 are consistent with previous determinations at sqrt{s}=MZ.

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arXiv2000

Search for new Physics in rare B Decays

A search for the decay B+- to K+-K+-pi-+ was performed using data collected by the OPAL detector at LEP. These decays are strongly suppressed in the Standard Model but could occur with a higher branching ratio in supersymmetric models, especially in those with R-parity violating couplings. No evidence for a signal was observed and a 90% confidence level upper limit of 1.29x10^-4 was set for the branching ratio.

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arXiv2000

Leading Particle Production in Light Flavour Jets

The energy distribution and type of the particle with the highest momentum in quark jets are determined for each of the five quark flavours making only minimal model assumptions. The analysis is based on a large statistics sample of hadronic Z0 decays collected with the OPAL detector at the LEP e+e- collider. These results provide a basis for future studies of light flavour production at other centre-of-mass energies. We use our results to study the hadronisation mechanism in light flavour jets and compare the data to the QCD models JETSET and HERWIG. Within the JETSET model we also directly determine the suppression of strange quarks to be gamma_s=0.422+-0.049 (stat.)+-0.059 (syst.) by comparing the production of charged and neutral kaons in strange and non-strange light quark events. Finally we study the features of baryon production.

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arXiv2000

Search for Unstable Heavy and Excited Leptons at LEP2

Searches for unstable neutral and charged heavy leptons, N and L+-, and for excited states of neutral and charged leptons, nu*, e*, mu*, and tau*, have been performed in e+e- collisions using data collected by the OPAL detector at LEP. The data analysed correspond to an integrated luminosity of about 58pb-1 at a centre-of-mass energy of 183GeV, and about 10pb-1 each at 161GeV and 172GeV. No evidence for new particles was found. Lower limits on the masses of unstable heavy and excited leptons are derived. From the analysis of charged-current, neutral-current, and photonic decays of singly produced excited leptons, upper limits are determined for the ratio of the coupling to the compositeness scale, f/Lambda, for masses up to the kinematic limit. For excited leptons, the limits are established independently of the relative values of the coupling constants f and f'.

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arXiv2000

Bose-Einstein correlations in charged kaon pairs from Z0 decays into two hadronic jets

Bose-Einstein correlations in pairs of charged kaons produced in a sample of 3.9 million hadronic Z0 decays have been measured with the OPAL experiment at LEP. Charged kaons were identified in the central tracking detector using their specific energy loss in the drift chamber gas. The correlation function was studied in two-jet events using a double ratio, formed by the number of like-sign pairs normalised by a reference sample in the data, divided by the same ratio in a Monte Carlo simulation. The enhancement at small values of the four-momentum difference of the pair was parametrised using a Gaussian function. The parameters of the Bose-Einstein correlations were measured to be lambda = 0.82+-0.22(+0.17,-0.12) for the strength and R0 = 0.56+-0.08(+0.08,-0.06) fm for the kaon source radius, where the first errors are statistical and the second systematic. Corrections for final-state interactions are discussed.

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arXiv1999

Precision Luminosity for Z0 Lineshape Measurements with a Silicon-Tungsten Calorimeter

The measurement of small-angle Bhabha scattering is used to determine the luminosity at the OPAL interaction point for the LEP I data recorded between 1993 and 1995. The measurement is based on the OPAL Silicon-Tungsten Luminometer which is composed of two calorimeters encircling the LEP beam pipe, on opposite sides of the interaction point. The luminometer detects electrons from small-angle Bhabha scattering at angles between 25 and 58mrad. At LEP center-of-mass energies around the Z0, about half of all Bhabha electrons entering the detector fall within a 79nb fiducial acceptance region. The electromagnetic showers generated in the stack of 1 radiation length tungsten absorber plates are sampled by 608 silicon detectors with 38,912 radial pads of 2.5mm width.The fine segmentation of the detector, combined with the precise knowledge of its physical dimensions, allows the trajectories of incoming 45GeV electrons or photons to be determined with a total systematic error of less than 7microns. We have quantified all significant sources of systematic experimental error in the luminosity determination by direct physical measurement. All measured properites of the luminosity event sample are found to be in agreement with current theoretical expectations. The total systematic measurement uncertainty is 3.4x10^-4, significantly below the theoretical error of 5.4x10^-4 currently assigned to the QED calculation of the Bhabha acceptance, and contributes negligibly to the total uncertainty in the OPAL measurement of Gamma{invisible}/Gamma{l+l-}, a quantity of basic physical interest which depends crucially on the luminosity measurement.

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arXiv1999

Measurement of the W+W-gamma Cross-section and First direct Limits on Anomalous Electroweak Quartic Gauge Couplings

A study of W+W- events accompanied by hard photon radiation produced in e+e- collisions at LEP is presented. Events consistent with two on-shell W-bosons and an isolated photon are selected from 183pb^-1 of data recorded at root{s}=189GeV. From these data, 17 W+W-gamma candidates are selected with photon energy greater than 10GeV, consistent with the Standard Model expectation. These events are used to measure the e+e- to W+W-gamma cross-section within a set of geometric and kinematic cuts; sigma{W+W-gamma} = 136+-37+-8 fb, where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The photon energy spectrum is used to set the first direct, albeit weak, limits on possible anomalous contributions to the {W+ W- gamma gamma} and {W+ W- gamma Z0} vertices: -0.070GeV^{-2} < a_0/Lambda^2 < 0.070GeV^{-2}, -0.13GeV^{-2} < a_c/Lambda^2 < 0.19GeV^{-2}, -0.61GeV^{-2} < a_n/Lambda^2 < 0.57GeV^{-2}, where Lambda represents the energy scale for new physics.

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arXiv1999

Measurement of the Production Rate of Charm Quark Pairs from Gluons in Hadronic Z0 Decays

The rate of secondary charm-quark-pair production has been measured in 4.4 million hadronic Z0 decays collected by OPAL. By selecting events with three jets and tagging charmed hadrons in the gluon jet candidate using leptons and charged D* mesons, the average number of secondary charm-quark pairs per hadronic event is found to be (3.20+-0.21+-0.38)x10-2.

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arXiv1999

Search for Neutral Higgs Bosons in e+e- Collisions at sqrt(s) ~189GeV

A search for neutral Higgs bosons has been performed with the OPAL detector at LEP, using approximately 170 pb-1 of e+e- collision data collected at sqrt(s)~189GeV. Searches have been performed for the Standard Model (SM) process e+e- to H0Z0 and the MSSM processes e+e- to H0Z0, A0h0. The searches are sensitive to the b b-bar and tau antitau decay modes of the Higgs bosons, and also to the MSSM decay mode h0 to A0A0. OPAL search results at lower centre-of-mass energies have been incorporated in the limits we set, which are valid at the 95% confidence level. For the SM Higgs boson, we obtain a lower mass bound of 91.0 GeV. In the MSSM, our limits are mh>74.8GeV and mA>76.5GeV, assuming tan(beta)>1, that the mixing of the scalar top quarks is either zero or maximal, and that the soft SUSY-breaking masses are 1 TeV. For the case of zero scalar top mixing, we exclude values of tan(beta) between 0.72 and 2.19.

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arXiv1999

Multi-photon production in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s)= 189 geV

The process e+e- to 2 (or 3) gammas is studied using data recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP. The data sample taken at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 178 pb-1. 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+ > 304 GeV and Lambda- > 295 GeV as well as a mass limit for an excited electron, Me* > 306 GeV assuming equal e*egamma and eegamma couplings. Graviton exchange in the context of theories with higher dimensions is excluded for scales G+ < 660 GeV and G- < 634 GeV. 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 and produced in association with another photon.

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