0000000000132304

AUTHOR

E. Neugebauer

A reanalysis of branching fractions of charmed mesonsD 0,D + andD s +

We combine highly complementary information on branching fractions of charmed mesonsD0,D+ andDs+ coming from two experiments both yielding doublecharm samples. The NA 32 experiment provided exclusive branching fractions for channels with at least two charged decay products while a recent Mark III paper provides results on inclusive charm decay properties. The knowledge of channels withK0's in the former is used to recalculate the charged multiplicity distribution in the latter. We obtain 〈nch〉=2.25±0.08 forD0, 〈nch〉=1.96±0.08 forD+ and 〈nch〉=2.41±0.38 forDs+. In turn the knowledge of the charged multiplicity improves the overall normalization of exclusive branching fractions. This reanalysi…

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Measurement of the mass and width of the charmed meson D∗+ (2010)

Abstract Using a high-resolution silicon vertex detector we have observed a very clean signal of 127 D∗+. After a careful study of the experimental resolution of our apparatus we have measured m( D ∗++ )−m( D 0 ) = 145.39±0.06±0.03 MeV . We have also obtained a 90% CL upper limit to γ(D∗+) of 131 keV.

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Production of the charmed baryon $\Lambda_{c}^{+}$ in $\pi^{-}$Cu and K$^{-}$Cu interactions at 230 GeV

Abstract We present results from the NA32 experiment at CERN on the production characteristics of the charmed baryon Λ+c in 230 GeV π−Cu and K−Cu interactions. A high resolution vertex detector consisting of change-coupled devices and silicon microstrip detectors allowed the selection of a very clean sample of 154 Λ+c → pK−π+ (and charge conjugate) decays. Results on differential and integrated cross sections are given.

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Search for neutral Higgs bosons from supersymmetry in Z decays

The light scalar Higgs boson h and the pseudoscalar Higgs boson A of the minimal supersymmetric standard model have been searched for in the processes e+e−→hff and e+e−→hA using data collected by ALEPH at the LEP e+e− collider, with center of mass energies at and near the Z peak. Using a variety of signatures adapted to various mass ranges for h and A, we have excluded a large domain in the parameter space. For large values of ν2ν1, the ratio of the vacuum expectation values of the two Higgs fields, the whole range from 0 to 38.8 GeV is excluded for Mh and MA at 95% CL.

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Searches for the standard Higgs boson

Abstract A data sample corresponding to about 100 000 hadronic Z decays collected by ALEPH at LEP has been used to search for the standard Higgs boson produced in the reaction e + e − → H 0 Z 0∗ . No indication for any signal was found, and a 95% CL lower limit on the Higgs boson mass has been set at 41.6 GeV.

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Search for a new weakly interacting particle

Abstract A search for events of the type e + e − →l + l − X 0 , where X 0 can be any weakly interacting particle which couples to the Z, has been performed with the ALEPH detector at LEP, by searching for acollinear lepton pairs. Such particles can be excluded up to a mass of 7.0 GeV/c 2 for a value of the ratio of branching fractions, Br( Z →X 0 l + l − )/Br(Z→ l + l − ), greater than 2.5 × 10 −3 if the X 0 has third component of isospin, I 3 greater than 1 2 and decays to a pair of virtual gauge bosons. When this analysis is combined with the previous results of the Higgs particle searches from ALEPH, this limit can be extended to an X 0 mass of 60 GeV/c 2 .

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$$\bar K^{0*} (892)$$ andK 0*(892) production at lowp t and the quark parton model

Data on the production of the neutralK*(892) resonances at lowpt by 200 GeVK− and π− is compared with the predictions of various models based on the quark parton model of hadrons.

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Measurement of the mass and lifetime of the charmed strange baryon $\Xi_{c}^{+}$

Abstract We have observed six unambiguous decays of the charmed strange baryon Ξc+ (or charge conjugate Ξc−) in the 230 GeV/c negative pions or kaons on a copper target at the CERN SPS using silicon microstrip detectors and charge-coupled devices for vertex reconstruction. Three of them have been reconstructed through the decay chain Ξc+ →Ξ−π+π+, Ξ− →Λ0π−, Λ0 →pπ− and the other three through the decay chain Ξc+ →Σ+K−π+ →pπ0. We present our measurements of the mass, lifetime and production cross-section of the Ξc+, as well as of the branching ration for the two decay modes.

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Production properties ofD 0,D +,D *+ andD s + in 230 GeV/c? ? andK ?-Cu interactions

We have studied the hadronic production of charmed mesons in the NA 32 experiment at CERN. A special trigger together with a high resolution vertex detector consisting of charge coupled devices and silicon microstrip detectors allowed the selection of very clean samples of charmed mesons. We have collected 852 fully reconstructed decays: 60D + →K + K −π+, 543D°→K −π+ andK −π+π−π+ as well as 249D +→K −π+π+ (or charge conjugate). 147 mesons out of our $${{D^0 } \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{D^0 } {\bar D^0 }}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\bar D^0 }}$$ sample were produced via chargedD * state. For all charmed mesons we determine the total production cross-section and study thex F andp …

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Lifetimes of charged and neutralD mesons

We have measured the lifetimes of hadronically produced charged and neutralD mesons using silicon microstrip detectors and an active silicon target in the NA32 spectrometer at the CERN SPS. We obtainτD± = (10.9±1.51.9)·10−13s andτD(−)10 = (4.2±0.5)·10−13s based on 59 and 90 fully reconstructed decays respectively, giving a ratioτD±/τD(−)10 of 2.6 ±0.5.

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Search for excited leptons in Z0 decay

Due to the severity of system-wide power outages, though their probability of occurrence is slight, regulatory authorities require that a system restoration plan be drawn up and kept up to date at all times. The power outage that affected northeastern North America in 2003 proved the need for such a requirement. The particular structure of Hydro-Quebec's power system requires the use of a highly specific system restoration procedure. The daily preparation of the system restoration plan is based on a strategy whose application requires that a restoration sequence be drawn up that uses available equipment, the electrical behavior of which has been validated using appropriate studies. Over the…

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Search for supersymmetric particles using acoplanar charged-particle pairs from Z0 decays

We have performed a search for supersymmetric particles using acoplanar pairs of oppositely-charged particles in decays of the Z0. In 0.53 pb−1 of integrated luminosity near the Z0 peak, we observe two events where approximately four are expected from background, allowing limits to be extended on combined photino and slepton masses, and also on combined photino and chargino masses.

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Measurement of the masses and lifetimes of the charmed mesonsD 0,D + andD s +

We present the final results on the measurement of the masses and lifetimes of the mesonsD0,D+ andD s + in the NA32 experiment at the CERN SPS, using silicon microstrip detectors and charge-coupled devices for vertex reconstruction. We measure the following lifetimes:\(\tau _{D^0 } = 3.88 \pm _{0.21}^{0.23} \cdot 10^{ - 13} s\) using a sample of 479D°→K−π+π−π+ and 162D°→K−π+ decays;\(\tau _{D^ + } = 10.5 \pm _{0.72}^{0.77} \cdot 10^{ - 13} s\) with a sample of 317D+→K−π+π+ decays;\(\tau _{D_s^ + } = 4.69 \pm _{0.86}^{1.02} \cdot 10^{ - 13} s\) with a sample of 54D s + →K+K−π+ decays. We measure the following masses:mD0=1864.6±0.3±1.0 MeV,mD+=1870.0±0.5±1.0 MeV and\(m_{D_s^ + } \)=1967.0±1.0…

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A study of λ+c decays into pK−π+, pK−π+π0and pK−π+π0π0

Abstract In the CERN NA32 experiment a high-resolution silicon vertex detector and a purely topological approach were used to collect a clean sample of λ + c decays into pK − π + with or without additional neutral particles. We study the subresonant structure of the λ c + peak obtaining BR (λ c + → p K ∗0 (892)) = 0.35 −0.07 +0.06 ±0.03 with respect to the total λ c + → pK − π + decay. We also determine branching ratios for some channels with neutral decay products, namely BR( λ c + → pK − π + π 0 ) = 0.73±0.12±0.05 and BR( λ c + → pK − π + π 0 π 0 = 0.16±0.07±0.03, again with respect to the total λ c + → pK − π + decay.

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Search for decays of the Z0 into a photon and a pseudoscalar meson

Abstract A search is reported for decays of the Z 0 into π 0 γ , ηγ and η ′ (958) γ in e + e − collisions using data collected during a scan around the Z 0 mass. In order to search for π 0 γ final states, in which the two photons from the π 0 decay are unresolved, the production of pairs of high-energy electromagnetic clusters is studied. The data are compared with the expectations from the pure QED process e + e − → γγ , and a 95% confidence level upper limit on the branching ratio of the Z 0 into π 0 γ of 4.9 × 10 −4 is derived. For η′γ, the decay modes of the mesons that contain two charged particles are largely free from QED background. These modes are used to place upper limits of 4.6 …

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Charmed pair correlations in π−Cu interactions at 230 GeV/c

Abstract In the CERN NA32 experiment a high-resolution silicon vertex detector and a purely topological approach were used to collect 557 events consistent with associated charm production, both decay vertices being observed. The pseudorapidity gap distribution appears to be nearly independent of the nature of the charmed hadrons. This distribution is reasonably consistent with the next-to-leading order QCD calculations. However the azimuthal-angle distribution is significantly broader than the above predictions.

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Search for excited neutrinos in Z decay

Excited neutrinos decaying into a neutrino and a photon are searched for in the ALEPH detector at LEP. No evidence is found for Z decay into vv∗ or v∗v∗ final states. Upper limits are derived on excited neutrino couplings up to excited neutrino masses close to the Z mass. Lower limits on the v∗ mass, independent of the v∗ decay modes, are deduced from the total Z width.

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First measurement of the lifetime of the charmed strange baryon Ξc0

Abstract We have observed four unambiguous decays of the charmed strange baryon Ξco in the NA32 experiment at CERN. Charge- coupled devices and silicon microstrip detectors were used to reconstruct the decay mode Ξ c o → pK − K ∗ (892) o seen in events produced by the interaction of 230 GeV/c negative poins and kaons on a copper target. We present the first measurement of the lifetime of the Ξco, together with a determination of its mass and production cross section. The resonant components of the Ξco decay are studied. We use our earlier measurement of the mass of the Ξc+ in the determination of the isospin mass splitting of the Ξc states.

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Measurement of various decay modes of charmed particlesD 0,D +,D s + andΛ s c

In the CERN NA 32 experiment a high-resolution silicon vertex detector and a purely topological approach have been used to investigate various decays of charmed particles. We observe ∼620 fully reconstructed decays ofD0 in 12 channels and determine the branching ratios. For fourD0 decay modes involving a single (unseen) π0 the small and narrowD*+−D0 mass difference is used to measure their branching ratios. We also observe ∼280 fully reconstructedD+ decays in 10 channels, ∼90Ds+ decays in 11 channels as well as 160Λsc and 18 decay channels ofD+. For theDs+, we measure the branching fractions within a subset of 16 three- and five-prong decay channels. For theΛsc, we determine the branching f…

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Inclusive $$\bar K^{0*} (892)$$ andK 0*(892) production on silicon by 200 GeVK − andπ −

The production of the neutralK− (892) resonances by 200 GeVK− andπ− has been studied over the kinematic range 0.0<xf<1.0 andpt2<5.0 GeV2. Longitudinal and transverse momentum distributions are presented. In addition the decay angular distributions inK− fragmentation to\(\bar K^{0*} \) have been investigated.

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Production ofD, D * andD s mesons in 200 GeV/c ?? K ? andp-Si interactions

The NA 32 experiment at the CERN SPS has collected 38 million hadronic interactions with incident 200 GeV/c π−,K− andp beam. Using a segmented silicon active target and a telescope of high resolution silicon microstrip counters we have selected fully reconstructedD0→K−π+,D0→K−π+π+π−,D+→K−π+π+,Ds+→K−K+π+π+ and charge conjugate decays. The integrated cross-sections forDo,D+D*+ andDs+ meson production and the dependence of the cross-section on longitudinal and transverse momentum of theD are presented.

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ALEPH: a Detector for Electron-Positron Annihilations at LEP

Process-centred Software Engineering Environments (PSEE) are the most recent generation of environments supporting software development activities. Most of PSEE are based on mechanisms promoting enforcement and automation of process activities. In this kind of mechanisms the process models are prescribed in a detailed and complete way. But the experience shows that supporting processes is more concerned with the flexibility of guidance offered during the process performance than with enforcement of a collection of predefined process models. In this paper, we present a solution to support strategic processes in a PSEE by providing a flexible guidance during process enactment.

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Der Einfluß von exogenem Laktat auf gemessene Plasmalaktatspiegel im hämorrhagischen Schock — eine kontrollierte Studie am Schwein

Einleitung: Seit mehr als 40 Jahren wird Laktat den Kristalloid-Losungen als Anion zugesetzt und als Plasmasubstitut in Form des Ringer-Laktats weltweit eingesetzt. Zur Beurteilung einer anaeroben Stoffwechselsituation und als prognostischer Parameter kommt dem Plasmalaktatspiegel klinisch eine wichtige Bedeutung zu.

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Measurement of the B hadron lifetime

The average lifetime of B hadrons has been measured by the ALEPH experiment at LEP. Events containing B hadrons are selected by the identification of leptons with high transverse momentum in hadronic Z decays, and the lifetime is extracted from a fit to the impact parameter distribution of the lepton tracks. From a sample of 1.7×105 hadronic Z decays a lifetime of 1.29±0.06±0.10 ps is measured.

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Measurement of B- mixing at the Z

Abstract From more than 175 000 hadronic Z decays observed with the ALEPH detector at LEP, we select 823 events with pairs of leptons in the final state. From these we measure χ , the probability thata b hadron which is observed to decay originated as a b hadron. We find χ =0.132 −0.026 +0.027 .

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Measurement of the strong coupling constant alfa_s from global event-shape variables of hadronic Z decays

Abstract An analysis of global event-shape variables has been carried out for the reaction e+e−→Z0→hadrons to measure the strong coupling constant αs. This study is based on 52 720 hadronic events obtained in 1989/90 with the ALEPH detector at the LEP collider at energies near the peak of the Z-resonance. In order to determine αs, second order QCD predictions modified by effects of perturbative higher orders and hadronization were fitted to the experimental distributions of event-shape variables. From a detailed analysis of the theoretical uncertainties we find that this approach is best justified for the differential two-jet rate, from which we obtain αs(MZ2) = 0.121 ± 0.002(stat.)±0.003(s…

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