Electroweak parameters of the z0 resonance and the standard model

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INCLUSIVE PI(+/-), K+/- AND (P,(P)OVER-BAR) DIFFERENTIAL CROSS-SECTIONS AT THE Z-RESONANCE

Inclusive pi(+/-), K-+/- and (p, (p) over bar) differential cross-sections in hadronic decays of the Z have been measured as a function of z = p(hadron)/p(beam), the scaled momentum. The results are based on approximately 520 000 events measured by the ALEPH detector at LEP during 1992. Charged particles are identified bp their rate of ionization energy loss in the ALEPH Time Projection Chamber. The position, xi*, of the peak in the ln(1/z) distribution is determined, and the evolution of the peak position with centre-of-mass energy is compared with the prediction of QCD

Improved measurements of electroweak parameters from Z decays into fermion pairs

The properties of the Z resonance are measured on the basis of 190000 Z decays into fermion pairs collected with the ALEPH detector at LEP. Assuming lepton universality, M(Z) = (91.182 +/- 0.009exp +/- 0.020L;P) GeV, GAMMA(Z) = (2484 +/- 17) MeV, sigma(had)0 = (41.44 +/- 0.36) nb, and GAMMA(had)/GAMMA(ll) = 21.00 +/- 0.20. The corresponding number of light neutrino species is 2.97 +/- 0.07. The forward-backward asymmetry in leptonic decays is used to determine the ratio of vector to axial-vector coupling constants of leptons: g(V)2(M(Z)2)/g(A)2(M(Z)2) = 0.0072 +/- 0.0027. Combining these results with ALEPH results on quark charge and bbBAR asymmetries, and tau-polarization, sin2 theta(W)(M(Z)2) = 0.2312 +/- 0.0018. In the context of the Minimal Standard Model, limits are placed on the top-quark mass

MEASUREMENT OF TAU BRANCHING RATIOS

Using the data accumulated at LEP in 1989 and 1990 with the ALEPH detector, the inclusive and exclusive branching ratios of the tau-lepton have been measured assuming lepton universality in Z0 decays. The inclusive branching fractions for the tau-decay into one, three, and five charged particles have been determined to be (85.45 +/- 0.97)%, (14.35 +/- 0.48)%, and (0.10 +/- 0.05)%, respectively, in agreement with the world averages. New undetected decay modes are determined to have a branching fraction of less than 2.1% at 95% CL. The measured branching ratios for quasi-exclusive channels are slightly larger than, but consistent with the world averages, except for the modes tau --> 3 hadrons + nu(tau) and tau --> hadron + 2-pi(0)nu(tau), which are significantly larger. These latter branching ratios have been found to be (9.5 +/- 0.7)% and (10.2 +/- 1.1)%, respectively. The sum of all the measured quasi-exclusive branching ratios is (100.4 +/- 1.8)%. A fully exclusive analysis of modes with neutral pions shows no evidence for new photonic decay modes with a branching fraction limit of 3.4% at 95% CL

Measurement of the Z resonance parameters at LEP

The properties of the Z resonance are measured from the analysis of 4.5 million Z decays into fermion pairs collected with the ALEPII detector at LEP. The data are consistent with lepton universality. The resonance parameters are measured to be M(Z) = (91.1885 +/- 0.0031) GeV/c(2), Gamma(Z) = (2.4941 +/- 0.0043) GeV, sigma(had)(0) = (41.559 +/- 0.058) nb and, combining the three lepton flavours, R(l) = 20.725 +/- 0.039. The corresponding number of light neutrino species is N(v) = 2.983 +/- 0.013 and the strong coupling constant is alpha(s)(M(Z)) = 0.114 +/- 0.004 +/- 0.002(QCD) + 0.005 log(10) [M(H)/150 GeV/c(2)]. The lepton pair forward-backward asymmetry is measured to be A(FB)(0,l) = 0.0173 +/- 0.0016 from which the effective weak mixing angle is described: sin(2) theta(eff)(lept) = 0.23089 +/- 0.00089. The measurement of the leptonic width Gamma(ll) = 84.02 +/- 0.15 MeV leads to a determination of the effective rho parameter rho(eff)(lept) = 1.0064 +/- 0.0018. The data support the Standard Model and favour a light Higgs

PRODUCTION OF CHARMED MESONS IN Z DECAYS

The production of charmed mesons D0(-), D+/-, and D*+/- is studied in a sample of 478,000 hadronic Z decays. The production rates are measured to be GAMMA(Z --> D*+/- X)/GAMMA(had) = 0.187 +/- 0.015 (exp.) +/- 0.013 (BR), GAMMA(Z --> D+/- X) = 0.251 +/- 0.026 (exp.) +/- 0.025 (BR), GAMMA(Z --> D0(-) X)/GAMMA(had) = 0.518 +/- 0.052 (exp.) +/- 0.035 (BR), where the errors from this analysis are separated from those coming from the D branching ratios (BR). The D *+/momentum distribution is extracted separately for Z --> cc and Z --> bbBAR events with the help of event shape variables. It is consistent with the prediction of the JETSET Monte Carlo program after adjustment of the charm fragmentation function. Constraining the shape of the Z --> bbBAR contribution, the average fraction of the beam energy taken by a D* meson produced in the fragmentation of a charm quark is extracted by a parametric fit to be [X(E)]c = 0.495 +/- 0.011 +/- 0.007. Evidence for D**0 (D1(2420)0 and/or D2*(2460)0) production is found in the D*+/-pi-/+ channel, accounting for a fraction (18 +/- 5 +/- 2)% of all D*+/- production. The relative production of vector and pseudoscalar mesons is dicussed, together with the possible effects of D** production. The c-quark forward-backward Z-pole asymmetry is determined from that of high momentum D*+/- to be A(FB)0,c = (7.7 +/- 4.4)%

Measurement of B - anti-B mixing at the Z

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 hadron. We find χ=0.132−0.026+0.027

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 primarily because of uncertainties in the rates of resonance production and a lack of knowledge about the pion-pion strong interaction. No significant correlations are seen amongst like-charged pion-kaon pairs

K0 production in one prong tau decays

From a sample of about 75000 τ decays identified with the ALEPH detector, K0 production in 1-prong hadronic decays is investigated by tagging the KL0 component in a hadronic calorimeter. Results are given for the final states ντh−K0 and ντh−π0K0 where the h− is separated into π and K contributions by means of the dE/dx measurement in in the central detector. The resulting branching ratios are: (Bτ → ντπ−K0) = (0.88±0.14±0.09)%, (Bτ → ντK−K0) = (0.29±0.12±0.03)%, (Bτ → ντπ−π0K0) = (0.33±0.14±0.07)% aand (Bτ → ντK−π0K0) = (0.05±0.05±0.01)%. The K∗ decay rate in the K0π channel agrees with that in the Kπ0 mode: the combined value for the branching ratio is