Improved measurements of cross sections and asymmetries at the Z0 resonance

During the 1992 running period of the LEP e+e- collider, the DELPHI experiment accumulated approximately 24 pb-1 of data at the Z0 peak. The decays into hadrons and charged leptons have been analysed to give values for the cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries which are significantly improved with respect to those previously published by the DELPHI collaboration. Incorporating these new data, more precise values for the Z0 resonance parameters are obtained from model-independent fits. The results are interpreted within the framework of the Standard Model, yielding for the top quark mass m(t) = 157(-48)+36(expt.)-20(+19)(Higgs) GeV, and for the effective mixing angle sin2 …

Measurement of the lifetime of tau-lepton

The tau lepton lifetime is measured with the L3 detector at LEP using the complete data taken at centre-of-mass energies around the Z pole resulting in tau_tau = 293.2 +/- 2.0 (stat) +/- 1.5 (syst) fs. The comparison of this result with the muon lifetime supports lepton universality of the weak charged current at the level of six per mille. Assuming lepton universality, the value of the strong coupling constant, alpha_s is found to be alpha_s(m_tau^2) = 0.319 +/- 0.015(exp.) +/- 0.014 (theory). The tau lepton lifetime is measured with the L3 detector at LEP using the complete data taken at centre-of-mass energies around the Z pole resulting in τ τ =293.2 ± 2.0 (stat) ± 1.5 (syst) fs . The c…

Search for neutralino pair production at root s = 189 GeV

A search for pair-production of neutralinos at a LEP centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV gave no evidence for a signal. This limits the neutralino production cross-section and excludes regions in the parameter space of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM).

Evidence for B$^{0}_{s}$ meson production in Z$^0$ decays

Seven unambiguous events out of a sample of 270 000 Z0 decays, contain in tile same jet a D(s) meson and a muon at large transverse momentum relative to the et axis. These events are direct evidence for B(s)0 meson production in hadronic Z0 decays. The production rate of these events, relative to all hadronic Z0 decays is ( 18 +/- 8) x 10(-5) this number including the relevant branching fractions of the B(s)0 and D(s). The value of the B(s)0 meson lifetime relative to the average B meson lifetime is measured to be 0.8 +/- 0.4.

A Search for Sleptons and Gauginos in Z0 Decays

Using a data sample corresponding to 10 000 hadronic Z0 decays, we have searched for the production of sleptons and gauginos in the two-prong decays of Z0. No candidate remains after straightforward selections. For neutralinos, we use selection methods developed in our previous search for neutral Higgs particles. The negative results are translated into improved mass limits and parameter constraints on the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model.

A Measurement of the Bbbar Forward-backward Asymmetry Using the Semileptonic Decay Into Muons

J / psi production in the hadronic decays of the Z.

Abstract: J/psi mesons have been reconstructed from their decay to mu(+)mu(-) and e(+)e(-), using the data collected by the DELPHI experiment during 1991 and 1992 at the LEP collider. From about 1 million hadronic Z decays 153 +/- 17 J/psi were found, 5.4 +/- 2.3 psi' were obtained in the channel J/psi(--> mu(+)mu(-))pi(+)pi(-) and 6.4 +/- 2.7 chi(c) in the channel J/psi(--> mu(+)mu(-))gamma. As the dominant source of J/psi mesons is from b quarks, the following branching ratios: Br(b-->J/psi X) = (1.12 +/- 0.12 (stat.) +/- 0.10 (syst.))%, Br(b --> psi' X) = (0.48 +/- 0.22 (stat.) +/- 0.10 (syst.))%, Br(b-->chi(cl) X) = (1.4 +/- 0.6 (stat.)(-0.2)(+0.4) (syst.))% were measured. From the prop…

A Precise Measurement of the $\tau$ Polarisation at LEP-1

The $\tau$ polarisation has been studied with the ${\rm e^+e^-}\to \tau^+\tau^-$ data collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP in 1993, 1994 and 1995 around the Z resonance firstly through the exclusive decay channels ${\rm e}\nu\bar{\nu}$ , $\mu\nu\bar{\nu}$ , $\pi\nu$ , $\rho\nu$ and ${\rm a}_1\nu$ and secondly with an inclusive hadronic analysis which benefits from a higher efficiency and a better systematic precision. The results have been combined with those previously published on 1990 to 1992 DELPHI data, to produce results which reflect the full LEP-1 statistics. The fit of the $\tau$ polarisation dependence on the production angle yielded the polarisation parameters ${\cal A}_{_{\sc…

A comparison of jet production rates on the Z0 resonance to perturbative QCD

The production rates for 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-jet hadronic final states have been measured with the DELPHI detector at the e+e- storage ring LEP at centre of mass energies around 91.5 GeV. Fully corrected data are compared to O(αs 2) QCD matrix element calculations and the QCD scale parameter ΛMS is determined for different parametrizations of the renormalization scale μ2. Including all uncertainties our result is αs(MZ 2)=0.114±0.003[stat.]±0.004[syst.]±0.012[theor.] .

A measurement of the tau lifetime

The tau lepton lifetime is measured using four different methods with the DELPHI detector. Three measurements using one prong decays are combined, accounting for correlations, resulting in tau(tau) = 298 +/- 7 (stat.) +/- 4 (syst.) fs while the decay length distribution of three prong decays gives tau(tau) = 298 +/- 13 (stat.) +/- 5 (syst.) fs. The combined result is tau(tau) = 298 +/- 7 fs. The ratio of the Fermi coupling constant from tau decay relative to that from muon decay is found to be 0.985 +/- 0.013, compatible with lepton universality.

Search for the sgoldstino at √s = 189 to 202 GeV.

A search for the supersymmetric partner of the goldstino, the sgoldstino S, at LEP2 is presented. The production Sgamma followed by S decay into two gluons or into two photons was studied at 189 - 202 GeV LEP centre-of-mass energies. No evidence for the S production was found and limits on the S mass corresponding to different theory parameters are given.

Measurement of trilinear gauge boson couplings WWV, (V Z,gamma) in e(+)e(-) collisions at 189 GeV

Measurements of the trilinear gauge boson couplings WWgamma and WWZ are presented using the data taken by DELPHI in 1998 at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV and combined with DELPHI data at 183 GeV. Values are determined for Delta(g_1^Z) and Delta(kappa_gamma), the differences of the WWZ charge coupling and of the WWgamma dipole coupling from their Standard Model values, and for lambda_gamma, the WWgamma quadrupole coupling. A measurement of the magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole moment of the W is extracted from the results for Delta(kappa_gamma) and lambda_gamma. The study uses data from the final states jjlv, jjjj, lX, jjX and gammaX, where j represents a quark jet, l an identifie…

A Precise Measurement of the Tau Lepton Lifetime

The tau lepton lifetime has been measured using three different methods with the DELPHI detector. Two measurements of one-prong decays are combined, accounting for correlations, giving a result of \tau_\tau = 291.8 \pm 3.3 \mbox{ (stat.)} \pm 2.0 \mbox{(sys.) fs} while the decay length distribution of three-prong decays gives the result \tau_{\tau} = 286.7 \pm 4.9 \mbox{ (stat.)} \pm 3.3 \mbox{ (sys.) fs}. Combining the results presented here with previous DELPHI measurements, we get \tau_{\tau} = 291.4 \pm 3.0 fs and find that the ratio of the coupling constant for tau decay relative to that for muon decay is 0.990 \pm 0.009, compatible with lepton universality.

Energy dependence of the differences between the quark and gluon jet fragmentation

Three jet events arising from decays of the Z beson, collected by the DELPHI detector, were used to measure differences in quark and gluon fragmentation. Gluon jets were anti-tagged by identifying b quark jets. Unbiased quark jets came from events with two jets plus one photon. Quark and gluon jet properties in different energy ranges were compared for the first time within the same detector. Quark and gluon jets of nearly the same energy in symmetric three jet event topologies were also compared. Using three independent methods, the average value of the ratio of the mean charged multiplicities of gluon and quark jets is [ r ] = 1.241 +/- 0.015 (stat.) +/- 0.025 (syst.). Gluon jets are broa…

Study of the leptonic decays of the Z0 boson

Measurements are presented of the cross section ratios Rℓ = σℓ(e+e-→ℓ+ℓ -)/σhh(e+e-→hadrons) for ℓ = e, μ and τ using data taken from a scan around the Z0. The results are Re = (5.09±0.32±0.18)%, Rμ = (4.96±0.35±0.17)% and Rτ,=(4.72±0.38± 0.29)% where, for the ratio Re, the t-channel contribution has been subtracted. These results are consistent with the hypothesis of lepton universality and test this hypothesis at the energy scale s ∼ 8300 GeV2. The absolute cross sections σℓ(e+e-→ℓ +ℓ-) have also been measured. From the cross sections the leptonic partial widths Γe = (83.2±3.0±2.4) MeV, (ΓeΓμ) 1/2=(84.6±3.0±2.4) MeV and (ΓeΓτ) 1/2=(82.6±3.3±3.2) MeV have been extracted. Assuming lepton un…

Cross-sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries from the Z(0) running of LEP

During 1993 and 1995 LEP was run at 3 energies near the Z $^0$ peak in order to give improved measurements of the mass and width of the resonance. During 1994, LEP operated only at the Z $^0$ peak. In total DELPHI accumulated data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of approximately 116 pb $^{-1}$ . Analyses of the hadronic cross-sections and of the cross-sections and forward-backward asymmetries in the leptonic channels used the most precise evaluations of the LEP energies. In the dimuon channel, events with a photon radiated from the initial state have been used to probe the cross-sections and asymmetries down to PETRA energies. Model independent fits to all DELPHI lineshape and asy…

Search for scalar quarks in Z0 decays

A search has been made for pairs of scalar quarks (squarks) produced in e+e- annihilations at LEP (√s≃MZ0), and decaying into a standard quark and a neutral, non-interacting, stable, massive particle (the lightest supersymmetric particle, LSP). The search has been conducted for differences in the mass of the squark and LSP of 2 GeV/c2 and above. Up squarks with masses below 42 GeV/c2 and down squarks below 43 GeV/c2 were excluded. Six squark flavours degenerate in mass were excluded below 45 GeV/c2.

Multiplicity dependence of mean transverse momentum in $e^+e^-$ annihilations at LEP energies

A strong increase of the mean transverse momentum [p(t)] with the number of charged particles n(ch) is observed in e+e- annihilations into hadrons at LEP energies, The effect resembles correlations observed in hadron-hadron interactions. In e+e- annihilations the [p(t)] and n(ch) correlations can be accounted for by gluon radiation.