Effects of body size on estimation of mammalian area requirements.

Accurately quantifying species' area requirements is a prerequisite for effective area-based conservation. This typically involves collecting tracking data on species of interest and then conducting home range analyses. Problematically, autocorrelation in tracking data can result in space needs being severely underestimated. Based on the previous work, we hypothesized the magnitude of underestimation varies with body mass, a relationship that could have serious conservation implications. To evaluate this hypothesis for terrestrial mammals, we estimated home-range areas with global positioning system (GPS) locations from 757 individuals across 61 globally distributed mammalian species with body masses ranging from 0.4 to 4000 kg. We then applied blockcross validation to quantify bias in empirical home range estimates. Area requirements of mammals 1, meaning the scaling of the relationship changedsubstantially at the upper end of the mass spectrum

Search for neutral charmless B decays at LEP

A search for rare charmless decays of \Bd and \Bs mesons has been performed in the exclusive channels \Bd_{(\mathrm s)}\ra\eta\eta, \Bd_{(\mathrm s)}\ra\eta\pio and \Bd_{(\mathrm s)}\ra\pio\pio. The data sample consisted of three million hadronic \Zo decays collected by the L3 experiment at LEP from 1991 through 1994. No candidate event has been observed and the following upper limits at 90\% confidence level on the branching ratios have been set \begin{displaymath} \mathrm{Br}(\Bd\ra\eta\eta)<4.1\times 10^{-4},\,\, \mathrm{Br}(\Bs\ra\eta\eta)<1.5\times 10^{-3},\,\, \end{displaymath} \begin{displaymath} \mathrm{Br}(\Bd\ra\eta\pio)<2.5\times 10^{-4},\,\, \mathrm{Br}(\Bs\ra\eta\pio)<1.0\times 10^{-3},\,\, \end{displaymath} \begin{displaymath} \mathrm{Br}(\Bd\ra\pio\pio)<6.0\times 10^{-5},\,\, \mathrm{Br}(\Bs\ra\pio\pio)<2.1\times 10^{-4}. \end{displaymath} These are the first experimental limits on \Bd\ra\eta\eta and on the \Bs neutral charmless modes

Measurement of the average lifetime of b-hadrons in Z decays

We present a measurement of the average b-hadron lifetime ${\rm \tau_b}$ at the $\mathrm{e^+e^-} \,$ collider LEP. Using hadronic Z decays collected in the period from 1991 to 1994, two independent analyses have been performed. In the first one, the b-decay position is reconstructed as a secondary vertex of hadronic b-decay particles. The second analysis is an updated measurement of ${\rm \tau_b}$ using the impact parameter of leptons with high momentum and high transverse momentum. The combined result is \begin{center} ${\rm \tau_b= [ 1549 \pm 9 \, (stat) \, \pm 15 \, (syst) ] \; fs \,}$ . \end{center} In addition, we measure the average charged b-decay multiplicity ${\rm \langle n_{\rm b}} \rangle$ and the normalized average b-energy ${\rm \langle x_E \rangle_{\rm b}}$ at LEP to be \begin{center} ${\rm \langle n_{\rm b} \rangle = 4.90 \pm 0.04 \ (stat) \pm 0.11 \, (syst)}$ , \end{center} \begin{center} ${\rm \langle x_E \rangle_{\rm b} = 0.709 \pm 0.004 \, (stat + syst).}$ \end{center

Measurement of the Average Lifetime of b-Hadrons in Z Decays

We present a measurement of the average b-hadron lifetime ${\rm \tau_b}$ at the $\mathrm{e^+e^-} \,$ collider LEP. Using hadronic Z decays collected in the period from 1991 to 1994, two independent analyses have been performed. In the first one, the b-decay position is reconstructed as a secondary vertex of hadronic b-decay particles. The second analysis is an updated measurement of ${\rm \tau_b}$ using the impact parameter of leptons with high momentum and high transverse momentum. The combined result is \begin{center} ${\rm \tau_b= [ 1549 \pm 9 \, (stat) \, \pm 15 \, (syst) ] \; fs \,}$ . \end{center} In addition, we measure the average charged b-decay multiplicity ${\rm \langle n_{\rm b}} \rangle$ and the normalized average b-energy ${\rm \langle x_E \rangle_{\rm b}}$ at LEP to be \begin{center} ${\rm \langle n_{\rm b} \rangle = 4.90 \pm 0.04 \ (stat) \pm 0.11 \, (syst)}$ , \end{center} \begin{center} ${\rm \langle x_E \rangle_{\rm b} = 0.709 \pm 0.004 \, (stat + syst).}$ \end{center

Production of Single W Bosons at LEP

We report on the observation of single W boson production in a data sample collected by the L3 detector at LEP2. The signal consists of large missing energy final states with a single energetic lepton or two hadronic jets. The cross-section is measured to be $0.61^{+0.43}_{-0.33} \pm 0.05 \; \rm{pb}$ at the centre of mass energy \sqrt{s}=172 \GeV{}, consistent with the Standard Model expectation. From this measurement the following limits on the anomalous $\gamma$WW gauge couplings are derived at 95\% CL: $\rm -3.6 \Delta \kappa_\gamma 1.5$ and $\rm -3.6 \lambda_\gamma 3.6$

Search for Charginos and Neutralinos in e+e- collisions at \sqrt{s} = 189 Gev

We report the result of a search for charginos and neutralinos, in e+e- collisions at 189 GeV centre-of-mass energy at LEP. No evidence for such particles is found in a data sample of 176 pb^{-1}. Improved upper limits for these particles are set on the production cross sections. New exclusion contours in the parameter space of the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model are derived, as well as new lower limits on the masses of these supersymmetric particles. Under the assumptions of common gaugino and scalar masses at the GUT scale, we set an absolute lower limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino of 32.5 GeV and on the mass of the lightest chargino of 67.7 GeV

Local multiplicity fluctuations in hadronic Z decay

Local multiplicity fluctuations in hadronic Z decays are studied using the L3 detector at LEP. Bunching parameters are used for the first time in addition to the normalised factorial moment method. The bunching parameters directly demonstrate that the fluctuations in rapidity are multifractal. Monte Carlo models show overall agreement with the data, reproducing the trend, although not always the magnitude, of the factorial moments and bunching parameters

Measurement of the lifetime of the τ\tau lepton

The lifetime of the tau lepton is measured using data collected in 1994 by the L3 detector at LEP. The precise track position information of the Silicon Microvertex Detector is exploited. The tau lepton lifetime is determined from the signed impact parameter distribution for 30 322 tau decays into one charged particle and from the decay length distribution for 3891 tau decays into three charged particles. Combining the two methods we obtain $\tau_{\tau}$ = 290.1 $\pm$ 4.0 fs

Determination of the number of light neutrino species from single photon production at LEP

A determination of the number of light neutrino families performed by measuring the cross section of single photon production in \ee\ collision near the \Zo\ resonance is reported. From an integrated luminosity of $100~\mathrm{pb^{-1}}$, collected during the years 1991--94, we have observed 2091 single photon candidates with an energy above 1~\GeV\ in the polar angular region $45^\circ < \theta_\gamma < 135^\circ$. From a maximum likelihood fit to the single photon cross section, the \Zo\ decay width into invisible particles is measured to be \Ginv = 498 \pm 12 \mathrm{(stat)} \pm 12 \mathrm{(sys)~MeV}. Using the Standard Model couplings of neutrinos to the \Zo, the number of light neutrino species is determined to be $N_\nu = 2.98 \pm 0.07 (\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.07 (\mathrm{sys}).

Search for R-Parity Breaking Sneutrino Exchange at LEP

We report on a search for R--parity breaking effects due to supersymmetric tau--sneutrino exchange in the reactions e+e- to e+e- and e+e- to mu+mu- at centre--of--mass energies from 91~{\GeV} to 172~{\GeV}, using the L3 detector at LEP. No evidence for deviations from the Standard Model expectations of the measured cross sections and forward--backward asymmetries for these reactions is found. Upper limits for the couplings $\lambda_{131}$ and $\lambda_{232}$ for sneutrino masses up to m_{\SNT} \leq 190~\GeV are determined from an analysis of the expected effects due to tau sneutrino exchange