0000000000085922
AUTHOR
Apollonio M
Three-prong τ decays with charged kaons
Final states with charged kaons in three-prong τ decays are studied by exploiting the particle identification from the dE/dx measurement. The results are based on a sample of about 1.6 × 105 detected τ pairs collected with the ALEPH detector between 1991 and 1995 around the Z peak. The following branching ratios have been measured: B(τ- → K−K+π−ντ) = (1.63 ± 0.21 ± 0.17) × 10−3, B(τ− → K−π+π−ντ) = (2.14 ± 0.37 ± 0.29) × 10−3, B(τ− → K−K+π−π0ντ) = (0.75 ± 0.29 ± 0.15) × 10−3, and B(τ− → K−π+π−π0ντ) = (0.61 ± 0.39 ± 0.18) × 10−3. The first two measurements are more precise than the current world averages, while the last two channels are investigated for the first time. The 95% C.L. upper limi…
Measurement of the Effective b quark Fragmentation Function At the Z resonance
Using a sample of about 1.46 million hadronic Z decays collected between 1991 and 1993 with the ALEPH detector at LEP, the energy distribution of the B-0 and B-+/- mesons produced at the Z resonance is measured by reconstructing semileptonic decays B --> l nu(l)D(X) or B --> l nu(l)D*(+)(X). The charmed mesons are reconstructed through the decay modes D-0 --> K(-)pi(+), D-0, --> K(-)pi(+)pi(-)pi(+),D+ --> K(-)pi(+)pi(+), and D*(+) --> D-0 pi(+). The neutrino energy is estimated from the missing energy in the lepton hemisphere. Accounting for B* and B** production, the shape of the scaled energy distribution x(E)((b)) for mesons containing a b quark is compared to the predictions of differen…
Fast photon detection for particle identification with COMPASS RICH-1
Particle identification at high rates is an important challenge for many current and future high-energy physics experiments. The upgrade of the COMPASS RICH-1 detector requires a new technique for Cherenkov photon detection at count rates of several $10^6$ per channel in the central detector region, and a read-out system allowing for trigger rates of up to 100 kHz. To cope with these requirements, the photon detectors in the central region have been replaced with the detection system described in this paper. In the peripheral regions, the existing multi-wire proportional chambers with CsI photocathode are now read out via a new system employing APV pre-amplifiers and flash ADC chips. The ne…
Measurements of the b baryon lifetime
Using about 1.5 million hadronic Z decays recorded with the ALEPH detector, the lifetime of the b baryons has been measured using two independent data samples. From a maximum likelihood fit to the impact parameter distribution of leptons in 519 Lambda l(-) combinations containing a b baryon sample of 290 decays, the measured b baryon lifetime is tau(b-baryon) = 1.05(-0.11)(+0.12)(stat) +/-0.09(syst) ps. The lifetime of the Lambda(b)(0) baryon from a maximum likelihood fit to the proper time distribution of 58 Lambda(c)(+)l(-) candidates containing a Lambda(b)(0) sample of 44 decays, is tau(Lambda b0) = 1.02(-0.18)(+0.23)(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) ps.