Search for supersymmetric particles in scenarios with a gravitino LSP and stau NLSP

Sleptons, neutralinos and charginos were searched for in the context of scenarios where the lightest supersymmetric particle is the gravitino. It was assumed that the stau is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle. Data collected with the DELPHI detector at a centre-of-mass energy near 189 GeV were analysed combining the methods developed in previous searches at lower energies. No evidence for the production of these supersymmetric particles was found. Hence, limits were derived at 95% confidence level.Comment: 31 pages, 14 figure

Study of B0_s anti-B0_s oscillations and B0_s lifetimes using hadronic decays of B0_s mesons

Oscillations of B0s mesons have been studied in samples selected from about 3.5 million hadronic Z decays detected by DELPHI between 1992 and 1995. One analysis uses events in the exclusive decay channels: B0s -> Ds- pi+ or Ds- a1+ and B0s -> anti-D0 K- pi+ or anti-D0 K- a1+, where the D decays are completely reconstructed. In addition, B0s anti-B0s oscillations have been studied in events with an exclusively reconstructed Ds accompanied in the same hemisphere by a high momentum hadron of opposite charge. Combining the two analyses, a limit on the mass difference between the physical B0s states has been obtained: Delta(m_B0s) > 4.0 ps^{-1} at the 95% C.L. with a sensitivity of Delta(m_B0s) = 3.2 ps^{-1}. Using the latter sample of events, the B0s lifetime has been measured and an upper limit on the decay width difference between the two physical B0s states has been obtained: tau(B0s) = 1.53^{+0.16}_{-0.15}(stat.) +/- {0.07}(syst.) ps \Delta\Gamma(B0s)/\Gamma(B0s) < 0.69 at the 95% C.L. The combination of these results with those obtained using Ds+- lepton-+ sample gives: Delta(m_B0s) > 4.9 ps^{-1} at the 95% C.L. with a sensitivity of Delta(m_B0s) = 8.7 ps^{-1}. tau(B0s) = 1.46 +/- 0.11 ps and \Delta\Gamma(B0s)/\Gamma(B0s) < 0.45 at the 95% C.L.Comment: 42 pages, 13 figure

π±, K±, p and p̄ production in Z0 → qq̄, Z0 bb̄, Z0 → uū, dd̄, ss̄

The DELPHI experiment at LEP uses Ring Imaging Cherenkov detectors for particle identification. The good understanding of the RICH detectors allows the identification of charged pions, kaons and protons, covering the full momentum range from 0.7 &lt; p &lt; 45.6GeV/c. The π±, K±, p and p̄ normalised production rates, their differential cross sections, multiplicities and the maxima ξ*p of_the ξp = ln (1/Xp) distributions are measured for three event samples Z0 → qq̄, Z0 → bb̄, Z0 → uū, dd̄, ss̄, selected from ∼ 1 400 000 Z0 decays collected by DELPHI in 1994. The results are compared to the predictions of the JETSET string fragmentation model and the HERWIG cluster fragmentation model. The Modified Leading Logarithm Approximation with Local Parton-Hadron Duality is tested. The ξ*p dependence on the primary quark flavour is investigated and quantified for the different particle distributions. The π± , K±, p and p̄ multiplicities are measured with precisions from ±4% to ±6%. Forche Z0 → qq̄, and Z0 → bb̄, event samples, these improve on previous measurements. The π±, K±, p and p̄ multiplicities for Z0 → uū, dd̄, ss̄ are presented for the first time

Determination of the e+ e- --> gamma gamma (gamma) cross-section at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 189-GeV to 202-GeV

A test of the QED process e(+)e(-) --> gamma gamma>(*) over bar *(gamma) is reported. The data analysed were collected with the DELPHI detector in 1998 and 1999 at the highest energies achieved at LEP, reaching 202 GeV in the centre-of-mass. The total integrated luminosity amounts to 375.7 pb(-1). The differential and total cross-sections for the process e(+)e(-) --> gamma gamma were measured, and found to be in agreement with the QED prediction. 95% confidence level (C.L.) lower limits on the QED cut-off parameters of Lambda (+) > 330 GeV and Lambda_ > 320 GeV were derived. A 95% C.L. lower bound on the mass of an excited electron of 311 GeV/c(2) (for lambda gamma = 1) was obtained, s-channel virtual graviton exchange was searched for, resulting in 95% C.L. lower limits on the string mass scale, M-S: M-S > 713 GeV/c(2) (lambda = 1) and M-S > 691 GeV/c(2) (lambda = -1). (C) 2000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V

Searches for neutral Higgs bosons in e+ e- collisions around s**(1/2) = 189-GeV

Searches for neutral Higgs bosons in the Standard Model and the MSSM have been performed using data collected by the DELPHI experiment at a centre-of-mass energy of 188.7 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 158 pb^{-1}. These analyses are used, in combination with our results from lower energies, to set new 95% confidence level lower mass bounds on the Standard Model Higgs boson (94.6 GeV/c^2) and on the lightest neutral scalar (82.6 GeV/c^2) and neutral pseudoscalar (84.1 GeV/c^2) Higgs bosons in a representative scan of the MSSM parameters. The results are also interpreted in the framework of a general two-Higgs doublet model.Comment: 36 pages, 21 figures, see also Addendum in hep-ex/010402