0000000000435870
AUTHOR
Claus Grupen
Determination of the LEP centre-of-mass energy from Zγ events
Radiative returns to the Z resonance (Zgamma events) are used to determine the LEP2 centre-of-mass energy from the data collected with the ALEPH detector in 1997. The average centre-of-mass energy is measured to be: E_CM = 182.50 +- 0.19(stat) +- 0.08(syst) GeV in good agreement with the precise determination by the LEP energy working group of 182.652 +- 0.050 GeV. If applied to the measurement of the W mass, its precision translates into a systematic error on M_W which is smaller than the statistical error achieved from the corresponding dataset.
Search for γγ→ηb in e+e− collisions at LEP 2
A search for the pseudoscalar meson eta_b is performed in two-photon interactions at LEP~2 with an integrated luminosity of 699 pb^-1 collected at e+e- centre-of-mass energies from 181 GeV to 209 GeV. One candidate event is found in the six-charged-particle final state and none in the four-charged-particle final state, in agreement with the total expected background of about one event. Upper limits of Gamma_gammagamma(eta_b) * BR(eta_b -> 4 charged particles) 6 charged particles) < 132 eV are obtained at 95% confidence level, which correspond to 95% confidence level upper limits of 9.0% and 25% on these branching ratios.
Analysis of transverse momentum correlations in hadronic Z decays
In a recent paper, evidence was presented for a significant, positive correlation between the total transverse momenta of particles on opposite hemispheres of hadronic events. A new, model independent analysis of the data has been made. Two components can be distinguished in the correlation, and quantitative estimates of each are given. The results form a significant test of Monte Carlo models and some of the physics behind them. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
A Precise Determination of the Number of Families With Light Neutrinos and of the Z Boson Partial Widths
Title : The socialization at work in the federal universe, the determining element of the social regulation of the sports organization. Contribution to the social politics of the sport service of Nice city Abstract : This study postulates the existence of certain specific cultural determinism in the social regulation of the sports organization. It leans on a work of inquiry which concerns 148 agents of the municipal service of the sports of the Nice city. The investigation puts in evidence a causal report between the type of trajectory of professional insertion of the municipal agents and their level of support in the manager politics of the organization. The agents, whose bibliographic rou…
Transverse momentum correlations in hadronic Z decays
Using data obtained with the ALEPH detector at the Z resonance, a measure based on transverse momentum is shown to exhibit a correlation between the two halves of a hadronic event which cannot be explained by energy-momentum conservation, flavour conservation, the imposition of an event axis or imperfect event reconstruction. Two possible interpretations based on existing Monte Carlo models are examined: a) ARIADNE, with the correlation forming early in the parton shower and with the transition from partons to hadrons playing only a minor part; b) JETSET, with the correlation forming at the fragmentation stage. A correlation technique based on a jet cluster analysis is used to make a compar…
A SEARCH FOR PAIR-PRODUCED CHARGED HIGGS BOSONS IN Z0 DECAYS
The utilitarian representation of sport in Rumania, a brake in the development of leisure practice. Since the countries of central Europe entered the liberal sphere influence, the consumptions of possessions and services develop there. We observe a movement of tutellaire and ideological emancipation of the sports organizations, but the practice of popular physical activities delays developing. If, on the ground, we notice the appearance of an structured professionally offer, contrary to all expectations, it does not pull a real increase of consumption. This situation which rises in inferred paradox a cultural interrogation on the previous history of these brakes. Historically, the sport dur…
Studies of QCD in ${\rm e^+ e^-}\to $ hadrons at $E_{\rm cm} = 130$ and 136 GeV
Studies of QCD in $\mbox{e}^+\mbox{e}^- \rightarrow$ Hadrons at $E_{cm} = $} 130 and 136 GeV The ALEPH Collaboration An analysis of the properties of hadronic final states produced in electron-positron annihilation at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV is presented. The measurements are based on a data sample of 5.7 $\mbox{pb}^{-1}$ collected in November 1995 with the \Aleph detector at LEP. Inclusive charged particle distributions, jet rates and event-shape distributions are measured and the results are compared with the predictions of QCD-based models. From the measured distributions quantities are determined for which the dependence on the centre-of-mass energy can be predicted b…
Searches for neutral Higgs bosons in e+e− collisions at centre-of-mass energies from 192 to 202 GeV
Searches for neutral Higgs bosons are performed with the 237 pb-1 of data collected in 1999 by the ALEPH detector at LEP, for centre-of-mass energies between 191.6 and 201.6 GeV. These searches apply to Higgs bosons within the context of the Standard Model and its minimal supersymmetric extension (MSSM) as well as to invisibly decaying Higgs bosons. No evidence of a signal is seen. A lower limit on the mass of the Standard Model Higgs boson of 107.7 GeV/c2 at 95% confidence level is set. In the MSSM, lower limits of 91.2 and 91.6 GeV/c2 are derived for the masses of the neutral Higgs bosons h and A, respectively. For a Higgs boson decaying invisibly and produced with the Standard Model cros…
A flavour-independent Higgs boson search in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s) up to 209GeV
A search for the Higgsstrahlung process e+e- → HZ is carried out, covering decays of the Higgs boson into any quark pair, a gluon pair or a tau pair. The analysis is based on the 630 pb-1 of data collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies from 189 to 209 GeV. A 95% C.L. lower mass limit of 109.1 GeV/c2 is obtained for a Higgs boson cross section equal to that expected from the Standard Model if the Higgs boson decays exclusively into hadrons and/or taus, irrespective of the relative branching fractions. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Cosmic multi-muon events observed in the underground CERN-LEP tunnel with the ALEPH experiment
Multimuon events have been recorded with the ALEPH-detector, located 140 m underground, in parallel with e$^+$e$^-$ data taking. Benefitting from the high spatial and momentum resolution of the ALEPH tracking chambers narrowly spaced muons in high multiplicity bundles could be analysed. The bulk of the data can be successfully described by standard production phenomena. The multiplicity distribution favors, though not with very high significance, a chemical composition which changes from light to heavier elements with increasing energy around the ``knee". The five highest multiplicity events, with up to 150 muons within an area of $\sim$ 8 m$^2$, occur with a frequency which is almost an or…
Cosmic ray physics with the ALEPH detector
Abstract ALEPH is one of the four detectors at the Large Electron–Positron Collider (LEP) at a depth of about 320 m.w.e. Its hadron calorimeter and scintillator arrays installed at distances up to about 1 km away from ALEPH are used to measure cosmic muon induced time coincidences over large distances. The aim of this experiment (CosmoALEPH) is (1) to study the muon component above 70 GeV of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) and (2) to test the feasibility of searching for time correlations over even larger distances (up to 8 km) between the four LEP detectors. Layout and first results of CosmoALEPH are presented demonstrating the potential for cosmic ray physics in the LEP tunnel. The multiplici…
Four-fermion production in $e^+e^-$ collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV
Four-fermion events have been selected in a data sample of 5.8 pb(-1) collected with the ALEPH detector at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV. The final states l(+)l(-), l(+)l(-)l(+)l(-), , and <l(+)l(-) have been examined Five events are observed in the data, in agreement with the Standard Model predictions of 6.67 +/- 0.38 events from four-fermion processes and 0.14(-0.05)(+0.19) from background processes. RI ANTONELLI, ANTONELLA/C-6238-2011; Passalacqua, Luca/F-5127-2011; Murtas, Fabrizio/B-5729-2012; Sanchez, Federico/F-5809-2012; Ferrante, Isidoro/F-1017-2012
Measurement of electroweak parameters from Z decays into fermion pairs
We report on the properties of theZ resonance from 62 500Z decays into fermion pairs collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP, the Large Electron-Positron storage ring at CERN. We findMZ=(91.193±0.016exp±0.030LEP) GeV, ΓZ=(2497±31) MeV, σhad0=(41.86±0.66)nb, and for the partial widths Γinv=(489±24) MeV, Γhad(1754±27) MeV, Γee=(85.0±1.6)MeV, Γμμ=(80.0±2.5) MeV, and Γττ=(81.3±2.5) MeV, all in good agreement with the Standard Model. Assuming lepton universality and using a lepton sample without distinction of the final state we measure Γu=(84.3±1.3) MeV. The forward-backward asymmetry in leptonic decays is used to determine the vector and axial-vector weak coupling constants of leptors,gv2(MZ2…
Measurement of W-pair production in $e^+ e^-$ collisions at 189 GeV
The production of W-pairs is analysed in a data sample collected by ALEPH at a mean centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 174.2 pb^-1. Cross sections are given for different topologies of W decays into leptons or hadrons. Combining all final states and assuming Standard Model branching fractions, the total W-pair cross section is measured to be 15.71 +- 0.34 (stat) +- 0.18 (syst) pb. Using also the W-pair data samples collected by ALEPH at lower centre-of-mass energies, the decay branching fraction of the W boson into hadrons is measured to be BR (W > hadrons) = 66.97 +- 0.65 (stat) +- 0.32 (syst) %, allowing a determination of the CKM matrix el…
Measurements of the charged particle multiplicity distribution in restricted rapidity intervals
Charged particle multiplicity distributions have been measured with the ALFPH detector in restricted rapidity intervals \Y\ less than or equal to 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 along the thrust axis and also without restriction on rapidity. The distribution for the full range can be parametrized by a log-normal distribution. For smaller windows one finds a more complicated structure, which is understood to arise from perturbative effects. The negative-binomial distribution fails to describe the data both with and without the restriction on rapidity. The JETSET model is found to describe all aspects of the data while the width predicted by HERWIG is in significant disagreement.
A study of D*+π- production in semileptonic B decay
Abstract In a sample of 1.5 million hadronic decays of the Z collected by the ALEPH detector, a search is carried out for the decays B → D 1 0 (2420)l − ν X and B → D 2 ∗0 (2460)l − ν X . The product branching ratio for D10 production is measured to be Br (b → B ) × Br( B → D 1 0 l − ν X) × Br(D 1 0 → D ∗+ π − ) = (2.04 ± 0.58 stat ± 0.34 syst ) × 10 −3 , and a 95% confidence level limit of Br(b → B ) × Br( B → D 2 ∗0 l − ν X) × Br(D 2 ∗0 → D ∗+ π − ) ≤ 0.81 × 10 −3 is obtained for D2∗0 production. A topological search sensitive to the processes above, but also to wide resonances that decay to D ∗+ π − and to non-resonant D ∗+ π − production is also carried out, yielding Br(b→ B ) ×Br( B →D…
Measurement of the hadronic photon structure function at LEP 1 for 〈Q2〉 values between 9.9 and 284 GeV2
Inclusive γ*γ interactions to hadronic final states where one scattered electron or positron is detected in the electromagnetic calorimeters have been studied in the LEP 1 data taken by ALEPH from 1991 to 1995. The event sample has been used to measure the hadronic structure function of the photon F2γ in three bins with of 9.9, 20.7 and 284 GeV2.
Study of D0– mixing and D0 doubly Cabibbo-suppressed decays
Abstract Using a sample of four million hadronic Z events collected in ALEPH from 1991 to 1995, the decays D ∗+ → D 0 π s + , with D0 decaying to K−π+ or to K+π−, are studied. The relative branching ratio B(D0→K+π−)/B(D0→K−π+) is measured to be 1.84±0.59( stat. ) ±0.34( syst. ) %. The two possible contributions to the D0→K+π− decay, doubly Cabibbo-suppressed decays and D0– D 0 mixing, are disentangled by measuring the proper-time distribution of the reconstructed D0's. Assuming no interference between the two processes, the upper limit obtained on the mixing rate is 0.92% at 95% CL . The possible effect of interference between the two amplitudes is also assessed.
A Study of Bose-Einstein Correlations In e+e- Annihilation At 91 Gev
This paper describes a study of Bose-Einstein correlations made using the ALEPH detector at LEP. The correlations are found to enhance the two particle differential cross section for pairs of identical pions by a factor which can be roughly parametrized by R(Q) = 1 + lambda exp(-Q2-sigma(2)), where Q is the difference in the 3-momenta of the two pions in their centre of mass frame, lambda = 0.51 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.11 and sigma = 3.3 +/- 0.2 +/- 0.8 GeV-1, which corresponds to a source size of 0.65 +/- 0.04 +/- 0.16 fm. The large systematic errors on these results reflect their strong dependence on the choice of the reference sample used in the analysis. This problem is believed to occur primari…
UPDATE OF ELECTROWEAK PARAMETERS FROM Z DECAYS
Based on 520000 fermion pairs accumulated during the first three years of data collection by the ALEPH detector at LEP, updated values of the resonance parameters of the Z are determined to be M(Z) = (91.187 +/- 0.009) GeV, GAMMA(Z) = (2.501 +/- 0.012) GeV, sigma(had)0 = (41.60 +/- 0.27) nb, and R(l) = 20.78 +/- 0.13. The corresponding number of light neutrino species is N(v) = 2.97 +/- 0.05. The forward-backward asymmetry in lepton-pair decays is used to determine the ratio of vector to axial-vector couplings of leptons: g(V)2(M(z)2)/g(A)2 (M(Z)2) = 0.0052 +/- 0.00 1 6. Combining this with ALEPH measurements of the b and c quark asymmetries and tau polarization gives sin2theta(W)eff = 0.23…
Search for a very light CP-odd neutral Higgs boson of the MSSM
Abstract The reactions e + e − → hZ ∗ and e + e − → hA have been used to search for the neutral Higgs bosons h and A of the MSSM in the case where the CP -odd A is lighter than 2 m μ , taking into account the large h → AA decay branching ratio. No signal was found in the data sample collected until the end of 1991 by the ALEPH experiment at LEP. For tan β ⩾, m A m μ is excluded at 95% CL for any m h .
Improved search for $B_{s}^{0} - \overline{B}_{s}^{0}$ oscillations
An improved search for Bs oscillations is performed in the ALEPH data sample collected during the first phase of LEP, and reprocessed in 1998. Three analyses based on complementary event selections are presented. First, decays of Bs mesons into hadronic flavour eigenstates are fully reconstructed. This selection yields a small sample of candidates with excellent decay length and momentum resolution and high average Bs purity. Semileptonic decays with a reconstructed Ds- meson provide a second sample with larger statistics, high average Bs purity, but a poorer momentum and decay length resolution due to the partial decay reconstruction. Finally, semileptonic b-hadron decays are inclusively s…
Production of orbitally excited charm mesons in semileptonic B decays
A sample of 3.6 million hadronic Z decays recorded between 1991 and 1995 with the ALEPH detector at LEP is used to investigate semileptonic decays of B mesons into final states involving orbitally excited charm mesons. Topological vertex criteria are used to search for decays involving narrow D** states as well as wide D** resonances and non-resonant D(*)pi final states. The sum of the branching ratios for these processes is measured to be Br((B) over bar --> D pi l(-)(v) over bar) + Br((B) over bar --> D*pi l(-)(v) over bar) = (2.26 +/-t 0.29(stat) +/- 0.33(syst))%, which accounts for a significant fraction of the deficit between inclusive measurements and the sum of exclusive semileptonic…
Search for particles with unexpected mass and charge in Z decays
During 1989 and 1990 over 180 000 hadronic and leptonic events, corresponding to 8 pb-1 of luminosity, were collected by the ALEPH detector in a scan of the Z peak at the e+e- collider LEP. This letter reports the results of a search in these data for particles with unexpected mass and charge by measurement of the ionization energy loss of charged tracks in the ALEPH TPC central tracking detector. The mass limits for the pair production of fractionally charged particles and of heavy, long lived charged particles are extended to 43 GeV/c2 at 90% confidence level. If single production of a heavy particle is considered, the mass limit is extended to more than 70 GeV/c2. RI Perrier, Frederic/A-…
MEASUREMENT OF THE TAU-POLARIZATION AT THE Z-RESONANCE
Using 18.8 pb-1 of data collected in 1990 and 1991, ALEPH has measured the tau polarisation in the decay modes tau-->enunuBAR, tau-->mununuBAR, tau-->rhonu tau-->a1nu, using both the individual tau decay kinematics and the event acollinearity. The measurement of the tau polarisation as a function of the production polar angle yields the two parameters A(tau) and A(e), where A(l) = 2g(V)l g(A)l/[(g(V)l)2 + (g(A)l)2]. The results A(tau) = 0.143 +/- 0.023 and A(e) = 0. 120 +/- 0.026 are consistent with the hypothesis of electron-tau universality. Assuming universality yields a measurement of the effective weak mixing angle sin 2theta(W)eff = 0.2332 +/- 0.0022.
The cosmic ray muon spectrum and charge ratio in CosmoALEPH
Abstract The ALEPH experiment at the LEP e+e− storage ring at CERN has been used to measure the momentum spectrum of cosmic ray muons. ALEPH is located at a vertical depth of 320 m.w.e. underground close to the Jura mountains. The high resolution of the time projection chamber (TPC) of ALEPH allows to reconstruct muon tracks with momenta up to the TeV region. The measured muon momentum spectrum and the charge ratio in the range from 80 to 2500 GeV are presented. After corrections for energy loss in the overburden the sea level muon spectrum at nearly vertical incidence is obtained. The experimental data are compared to theoretical expectations and results from other experiments.
Measurement of charge asymmetry in hadronic Z decays
A significant charge asymmetry is observed in the hadronic Z decays with the ALEPH detector at LEP. The asymmetry expressed in terms of the difference in momentum weighted charges in the two event hemispheres is measured to be − = −0.0084±0.0015 (stat.) ±0.0004 (exp. sys.). In the framework of the standard model this can be interpreted as a measurement of the effective electroweak mixing angle, sin2Ow (Mz2=0.2300±0.0034 (stat.) ±0.0010 (exp. sys.) ±0.0038 (theor. sys.) or of the ratio of the vector to axual- vector coupling costants of the electron, gvegAe=+0.073±0.024.
Measurement of the W mass in e+e− collisions at 183 GeV
Abstract The mass of the W boson is obtained from reconstructed invariant mass distributions in W-pair events. The sample of W pairs is selected from 57 pb−1 collected with the ALEPH detector in 1997 at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The invariant mass distributions of reweighted Monte Carlo events are fitted separately to the experimental distributions in the q q q q and all lν q q channels to give the following W masses: m W hadronic =80.461±0.177 (stat.) ±0.045 (syst.) ±0.056 (theory) GeV /c 2 , m W semileptonic =80.326±0.184 (stat.) ±0.040 (syst.) GeV /c 2 , where the theory error represents the possible effects of final state interactions. The combination of these two measurements…
Inclusive production of neutral pions in hadronic Z decays
A measurement of the inclusive production of pi(0) mesons in hadronic Z decays is presented and compared to Monte Carlo model predictions. The analysis is based on approximately 2 million hadronic events recorded with the ALEPH detector at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of root s = 91.2 GeV. Neutral pions are reconstructed using photons measured in the electromagnetic calorimeter and photons from conversion pairs. The inclusive pi(0) momentum spectrum is measured in the range 0.025 < x(p) = p/p(beam) < 1. In this range the number of pi(0) per hadronic Z is found to be 4.80 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.31(sys). The differential inclusive pi(0) cross section is also measured as a function of transver…
Search for sleptons in e(+)e(-) collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 184 GeV
The data collected by the ALEPH experiment at LEP at centre-of-mass energies around 183 GeV are analysed to search for sleptons, the partners of leptons in supersymmetric theories. The previously published search for acoplanar leptons and missing energy has been updated. New searches have been developed to cover a wider range of slepton signals. These include single electrons, acoplanar leptons accompanied by two photons plus missing energy as well as particles with lifetime. No evidence for the production of any such particles is found. Slepton mass limits are reported within gravity mediated and gauge mediated SUSY breaking scenarios. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
MEASUREMENT OF TAU BRANCHING RATIOS
著者人数：112名
Measurement of triple gauge-boson couplings at 172 GeV
The triple gauge-boson couplings, αWΦ, αW and αBΦ, have been measured using 34 semileptonically and 54 hadronically decaying W+W- candidate events. The events were selected in the data recorded during 1996 with the ALEPH detector at 172 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 10.65 pb-1. The triple gauge-boson couplings have been measured using optimal observables constructed from kinematic information of W+W- events. The results are in agreement with the Standard Model expectation.
Fermi-Dirac correlations in Lambda pairs in hadronic Z decays
Two-particle correlations of Lambda Lambda and pairs have been studied in multihadronic Z decays recorded with the ALEPH detector at LEP in the years from 1992 to 1995. The correlations were measured as a function of the four-momentum difference Q of the pair. A depletion of events is observed in the region Q 2 GeV the fraction of pairs with spin one is consistent with the value of 0.75 expected for a statistical spin mixture, whilst for Q pairs, where no Fermi-Dirac correlations are expected, the spin one fraction is measured to be consistent with 0.75 over the entire analysed Q range. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Tau hadronic branching ratios
From 64492 selected tau-pair events, produced at the Zeta(o) resonance, the measurement of the tau decays into hadrons from a global analysis using 1991, 1992 and 1993 ALEPH data is presented. Special emphasis is given to the reconstruction of photons and pi(o)'s, and the removal of fake photons. A detailed study of the systematics entering the pi(o) reconstruction is also given. A complete and consistent set of tau hadronic branching ratios is presented for 18 exclusive modes. Most measurements are more precise than the present world average. The new level of precision reached allows a stringent test of tau - mu universality in hadronic decays, g(tau)/g(mu) = 1.0013 +/- 0.0095, and the fir…
Measurement of α from the structure of particle clusters produced in hadronic Z decays
Abstract Using 106 000 hadronic events obtained with the ALEPH detector at LEP at energies close to the Z resonance peak, the strong coupling constant αs is measured by an analysis of energy-energy correlations (EEC) and the global event shape variables thrust, C-parameter and oblateness. It is shown that the theoretical uncertainties can be significantly reduced if the final state particles are first combined in clusters using a minimum scaled invariant mass cut, Ycut, before these variables are computed. The combined result from all shape variables of pre-clustered events is αs(MZ2 = 0.117±0.005 for a renormalization scale μ= 1 2 M Z . For μ values between MZ and the b-quark mass, the res…
Measurement of the b hadron lifetime with the dipole method
A measurement of the average lifetime of b hadrons has been performed with the dipole method on a sample of 260000 hadronic Z decays recorded with the ALEPH detector during 1991. The dipole is the distance between the vertices built in the opposite hemispheres. The mean dipole is extracted from all the events without attempting b enrichment. Comparing the average of the data dipole distribution with a Monte Carlo calibration curve obtained with different b lifetimes, an average b hadron lifetime of 1.51 +/- 0.08 ps is extracted. RI ANTONELLI, ANTONELLA/C-6238-2011; Buttar, Craig/D-3706-2011; Stahl, Achim/E-8846-2011; Passalacqua, Luca/F-5127-2011; Murtas, Fabrizio/B-5729-2012; St.Denis, Ric…
Study of the four-fermion final state at the Z resonance
The process e+e−→, where l is a charged or a neutral lepton and f any charged fermion, is analyzed. The study uses the ALEPH data collected at LEP from 1989 to 1993 at centre-of-mass energies between 88 and 95 GeV, corresponding to almost two million hadronic Z decays and to a total integrated luminosity of 79 pb−1. For all channels, the data agree well with the standard model expectation both in shape and normalization. The indication of an excess in the\(e^ + e^ - \to \tau ^ + \tau ^ - f\bar f\) channel, reported by ALEPH in 1991, is not confirmed.
Search for γγ decays of a Higgs boson in e+e- collisions at √s up to 209 GeV
A search for events with a photon pair arising from the decay of a Higgs boson produced in association with a fermion pair, is performed in 893 pb-1 of data recorded by the ALEPH detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies up to 209 GeV. No excess of such events is found over the expected background, An upper limit is derived on the product of the e+e- → HZ cross section and the H → γγ branching fraction as a function of the Higgs boson mass. A fermiophobic Higgs boson produced with the Standard Model cross section is excluded at 95% confidence level for all masses below 105.4 GeV/c2. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Searches for the neutral Higgs bosons of the MSSM in e+e− collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 181–184 GeV
The data collected by ALEPH at LEP at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 181 to 184 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 57 pb(-1), are analysed to search for pair-produced neutral Higgs bosons h and A, in the b (b) over bar b (b) over bar and tau(+)tau(-)b (b) over bar final states. Two events are found in the data with 2.5 expected from standard model processes. When combined with the lower energy data collected by ALEPH and with earlier reported searches for associated hZ production, these analyses are interpreted in the context of the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model (MSSM). For standard choices of MSSM parameter sets, this combination results in 95%…
Measurement of the
A new method is presented for the measurement of the mean $\tau$ lepton lifetime using events in which $\tau$'s are pair-produced and both $\tau$'s decay to hadrons and $\nu_\tau$. Based on the correlation between the two $\tau$'s produced at a symmetric $e^+ e^-$ collider, the 3DIP method relies on the three-dimensional information from a double-sided vertex detector and on kinematic constraints for the precise measurement of the $\tau$ decay angles. Using the data collected from 1992 to 1994 with the ALEPH detector at LEP, a $\tau$ lifetime of $288.0 \pm 3.1 \pm 1.3 $\fs is obtained from the sample in which both $\tau$'s decay to one charged track, and $292.8 \pm 5.6 \pm 3.0 $\fs from the…
Search for invisible Higgs boson decays in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 184 GeV
In a data sample of 78.3 pb(-1) collected in 1996 and 1997 by the ALEPH detector at centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 184 GeV, invisible decays of a Higgs boson have been searched for in the reaction e(+)e(-) --> hZ, where the Z can decay into e(+)e(-), mu(+) mu(-) or . No evidence for a signal is found and limits on the production cross section are derived as a function of the Higgs boson mass. These results are combined with those obtained in an update of the analyses of the ALEPH data taken at LEP 1. For a production cross section equal to that of the minimal standard model Higgs boson, masses below 80 GeV/c(2) are excluded at 95% C.L. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Measurement of the W mass by direct reconstruction in e+e- collisions at 172 GeV
The mass of the W boson is obtained from reconstructed invariant mass distributions in W-pair events. The sample of W pairs is selected from 10.65 pb(-1) collected with the ALEPH detector at a mean centre-of-mass energy of 172.09 GeV. The invariant mass distribution of simulated events are fitted to the experimental; distributions and the following W masses are obtained: WW --> , m(W) = 81.30 +/- 0.47(stat.) +/- 0.11(syst.)GeV/c(2), WW --> l nu (l=e,mu), m(W) = 80.54 +/- 0.47(stat.) +/- 0.11(syst.)GeV/c(2), WW --> tau nu, m(W) = 79.56 +/- 1.08(stat.) +/- 0.23(syst.) GeV/c(2). The statistical errors are the expected errors for Monte Carlo samples of the same integrated luminosity as the data…
Updated measurement of the average b hadron lifetime
An improved measurement of the average lifetime of b hadrons has been performed with the ALEPH detector. From a sample of 260000 hadronic Z0 decays, recorded during the 1991 LEP run with the silicon vertex detector fully operational, a fit to the impact parameter distribution of lepton tracks coming from semileptonic decays yields an average b hadron lifetime of 1.49 +/- 0.03 +/- 0.06 ps.
Measurements of the muon component of extensive air showers at 320m.w.e. underground
Abstract The ALEPH detector at LEP has been supplemented with five scintillator telescopes to measure the muon component of cosmic ray air showers underground. The emphasis of the present analysis of a new data set is to measure coincidences over distances up to about 1 km which are sensitive to the forward production of hadronic interactions and the chemical composition of primary cosmic rays in the energy range around 1015 eV. First results indicate that the observed decoherence curve of muons is compatible with a light primary composition and the arrival directions of muons show no obvious clustering in galactic coordinates.
Muon-pair production by atmospheric muons in cosmoALEPH
Data from a dedicated cosmic ray run of the ALEPH detector were used in a study of muon trident production, i.e., muon pairs produced by muons. Here the overburden and the calorimeters are the target materials while the ALEPH time projection chamber provides the momentum measurements. A theoretical estimate of the muon trident cross section is obtained by developing a Monte Carlo simulation for muon propagation in the overburden and the detector. Two muon trident candidates were found to match the expected theoretical pattern. The observed production rate implies that the nuclear form factor cannot be neglected for muon tridents.
Measurement of the charged particle multiplicity distribution in hadronic Z decays
The charged particle multiplicity distribution of hadronic Z decays was measured on the peak of the Z resonance using the ALEPH detector at LEP. Using a model independent unfolding procedure the distribution was found to have a mean = 20.85 +/- 0.24 and a dispersion D = 6.34 +/- 0.12. Comparison with lower energy data supports the KNO scaling hypothesis in the energy range square-root s = 29-91.25 GeV. At square-root s = 91.25 GeV the shape of the multiplicity distribution is well described by a log-normal distribution, as predicted from a cascading model for multi-particle production. The same model also successfully describes the energy dependence of the mean and width of the multiplicity…
Search for supersymmetric particles with R-parity violation in Z decays
Searches for supersymmetric particles produced in e(+)e(-) interactions at the Z peak have been performed under the assumptions that R-parity is not conserved, that the dominant R-parity violating coupling involves only leptonic fields, and that the lifetime of the lightest supersymmetric particle can be neglected. In a data sample collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP up to 1993, and corresponding to almost two million hadronic Z decays, no signal was observed. As a result, supersymmetric particle masses and couplings are at least as well constrained as under the usual assumption of R-parity conservation.
Cosmic Ray Results from the CosmoALEPH Experiment
CosmoALEPH is an experiment operated in conjunction with the ALEPH detector. The ALEPH experiment took data from 1989 until the year 2000 at the Large Electron Positron Collider (LEP) at CERN. It provides, among others, high resolution tracking and calorimetry. CosmoALEPH used this e + e − detector for cosmic ray studies. In addition, six scintillator telescopes were installed in the ALEPH pit and the LEP tunnel. The whole experiment operated underground at a vertical depth of 320 meter water equivalent. Data from ALEPH and the scintillator telescopes provide informaton on the lateral distribution of energetic cosmic ray muons in extensive air showers. The decoherence curve of these remnant…
Search for charginos nearly mass degenerate with the lightest neutralino in e+e− collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 209 GeV
A search for charginos nearly mass degenerate with the lightest neutralino is performed with the data collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP, at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 628 pb-1. The analysis is based on the detection of isolated and energetic initial state radiation photons, produced in association with chargino pairs whose decay products have little visible energy. The number of candidate events observed is in agreement with that expected from Standard Model background sources. These results are combined with those of other direct searches for charginos, and a lower limit of 88 GeV/c2 at 95 % confidence level is derived…
Measurement of the e+e- → ZZ production cross section at centre-of-mass energies of 183 and 189 GeV
The ee -> ZZ cross section at sqrt(s)=182.7 and 188.6 GeV has been measured using the ALEPH detector. The analysis covers all of the visible ZZ final states and yields cross section measurements of sigma_ZZ(182.7 GeV) = 0.11 +- (0.16,0.11) (stat.) +- 0.04 (syst.) pb and sigma_ZZ(188.6 GeV) = 0.67 +- 0.13 (stat.) +- 0.04 (syst.) pb consistent with the Standard Model expectations.
Exclusive production of pion and kaon meson pairs in two photon collisions at LEP
Exclusive production of pi and K meson pairs in two photon collisions is measured with ALEPH data collected between 1992 and 2000. Cross-sections are presented as a function of cos theta* and invariant mass, for \ cos theta* \ < 0.6 and invariant masses between 2.0 and 6.0 GeV/c(2) (2.25 and 4.0 GeV/c(2)) for pions (kaons). The shape of the distributions are found to be well described by QCD predictions but the data have a significantly higher normalization. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier B.V.
Inclusive semileptonic branching ratios of b hadrons produced in Z decays
A measurement of the inclusive semileptonic branching ratios of b hadrons produced in Z decay is presented, using four million hadronic events collected by the ALEPH detector from 1991 to 1995. Electrons and muons are selected opposite to b-tagged hemispheres. Two different methods are explored to distinguish the contributions from direct $\bl$ and cascade $\bcl$ decays to the total lepton yield. One is based on the lepton transverse momentum spectrum, the other makes use of the correlation between the charge of the lepton and charge estimators built from tracks in the opposite hemisphere of the event. The latter method reduces the dependence on the modelling of semileptonic b decays. The r…
Observation of an excess in the search for the Standard Model Higgs boson at ALEPH
A search has been performed for the Standard Model Higgs boson in the data sample collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP, at centre-of-mass energies up to 209GeV. An excess of 3sigma beyond the background expectation is found, consistent with the production of the Higgs boson with a mass near 114GeV/c2. Much of this excess is seen in the four-jet analyses, where three high purity events are selected.