This final analysis of hadronic and leptonic cross-sections and of leptonic forward-backward asymmetries in e+e- collisions with the OPAL detector makes use of the full LEP1 data sample comprising 161 pb^-1 of integrated luminosity and 4.5 x 10^6 selected Z decays. An interpretation of the data in terms of contributions from pure Z exchange and from Z-gamma interference allows the parameters of the Z resonance to be determined in a model-independent way. Our results are in good agreement with lepton universality and consistent with the vector and axial-vector couplings predicted in the Standard Model. A fit to the complete dataset yields the fundamental Z resonance parameters: mZ = 91.1852 +- 0.0030 GeV, GZ = 2.4948 +- 0.0041 GeV, s0h = 41.501 +- 0.055 nb, Rl = 20.823 +- 0.044, and Afb0l = 0.0145 +- 0.0017. Transforming these parameters gives a measurement of the ratio between the decay width into invisible particles and the width to a single species of charged lepton, Ginv/Gl = 5.942 +- 0.027. Attributing the entire invisible width to neutrino decays and assuming the Standard Model couplings for neutrinos, this translates into a measurement of the effective number of light neutrino species, N_nu = 2.984 +- 0.013. Interpreting the data within the context of the Standard Model allows the mass of the top quark, mt = 162 +29-16 GeV, to be determined through its influence on radiative corrections. Alternatively, utilising the direct external measurement of mt as an additional constraint leads to a measurement of the strong coupling constant and the mass of the Higgs boson: alfa_s(mZ) = 0.127 +- 0.005 and mH = 390 +750-280 GeV.
The cross section for hadron production corrected to the simple kinematic acceptance region defined by SPRIME/S > 0.01. Statistical errors only are shown. Also given is the cross section value corrected for the beam energy spread to correspond to the physical cross section at the central value of SQRT(S).
The cross section for E+ E- production corrected to the simple kinematic acceptance region defined by ABS(COS(THETA(C=E-))) < 0.7 and THETA(C=ACOL) < 10 degrees. Statistical errors only are shown. Also given is the cross section value corrected for the beam energy spread to correspond to the physical cross sectionat the central value of SQRT(S).
The cross section for mu+ mu- production corrected to the simple kinematic acceptance region defined by N = M(P=3_4)**2/S > 0.01. Statistical errors only are shown. Also given is the cross section value corrected for the beam energy spread to correspond to the physical cross section at the central value of SQRT(S).
The hadronic structure of the photon F2gamma is measured as a function of Bjorken x and of the photon virtuality Q2 using deep-inelastic scattering data taken by the OPAL detector at LEP at e+e- centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. Previous OPAL measurements of the x dependence of F2gamma are extended to an average Q2 of <Q2>=780GeV2 using data in the kinematic range 0.15 < x < 0.98. The Q2 evolution of F2gamma is studied for 12.1 < <Q2> < 780GeV2 using three ranges of x. As predicted by QCD, the data show positive scaling violations in F2gamma for the central x region 0.10-0.60. Several parameterisations of F2gamma are in qualitative agreement with the measurements whereas the quark-parton model prediction fails to describe the data.
F2 and DSIG/DX for the EE sample in the high Q**2 region as a function of X.
Statistical correlations between the bins in the preceding table.
The measured value of F2 and DSIG/DX for the SW data sample in the Q**2 range 9 to 15 GeV**2.
The exclusive production of proton-antiproton pairs in the collisions of two quasi-real photons had been studied using data taken at sqrt(s)_ee=183 GeV and 189 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP. Results are presented for Ppbar invariant masses, W, in the range 2.15 W< <3.95 GeV. The cross-section measurements are compared with previous data and with recent analytic calculations based on the quark-diquark model.
Cross section as a function of the invariant mass of the pbar-p pair.
Cross section for two photon production of the pbar-p pair.
Angular distributions in 3 W ranges.
Di-jet producion is studied in collisions of quasi-real photons at e+e- centre- of-mass energies sqrt(s)ee from 189 to 209 GeV at LEP. The data were collected with the OPAL detector. Jets are reconstructed using an inclusive k_t clustering algorithm for all cross-section measurements presented. A cone jet algorithm is used in addition to study the different structure of the jets resulting from either of the algorithms. The inclusive di-jet cross-section is measured as a function of the mean transverse energy Etm(jet) of the two leading jets, and as a functiuon of the estimated fraction of the photon momentum carried by the parton entering the hard sub-process, xg, for different regions of Etm (jet). Angular distribution in di-jet events are measured and used to demonstrate the dominance of quark and gluon initiated processes in different regions of phase space. Furthermore the inclusive di-jet cross-section as a function of |eta(jet)| and |delta eta (jet)| is presented where eta(jet) is the jet pseudo-rapidity. Different regions of the xg+ -xg- -space are explored to study and control the influence of an underlying event. The results are compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations and to the predictions of the leading order Monte Carlo generator PYTHIA.
The di-jet cross section as a function of the angle between the jet and thedirection of the incoming parton in the centre-of-mass frame for the region whe re both X(C=GAMMA+) and X(C=GAMMA-) are > 0.75.
The di-jet cross section as a function of the angle between the jet and thedirection of the incoming parton in the centre-of-mass frame for the region whe re both X(C=GAMMA+) and X(C=GAMMA-) are < 0.75.
The di-jet cross section as a function of the mean transverse energy of thedi-jet system for the full X(C=GAMMA+) and X(C=GAMMA-) region.
The production of charm quarks is studied in deep-inelastic electron-photon scattering using data recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP at normal e+e- centre-of-mass energies from 183 to 209 GeV. The charm quarks have been identified by full reconstruction of charged D* mesons using their decays into D0pi with the D0 observed in two decay modes with charged particle final states, Kpi and K3pi. The cross-section sigma(D*) for production of charged D* in the reaction e+e- -> e+e-D*X is measured in a restricted kinematical region using two bins in Bjorken x, 0.0014 < x < 0.1 and 0.1 < x < 0.87. From sigma(D*) the charm production cross-section sigma(e+e- -> e+e- ccbar X) and the charm structure function of the photon F 2,c are determined in the region 0.0014 < x < 0.87 and 5 < Q2 < 100 GeV2. For x > 0.1 the perturbative QCD calculation at next-to-leading order agrees perfectly with the measured cross-section. For x < 0.1 the measured cross-section is 43.8 +- 14.3 +- 6.3 +- 2.8 pb with a next-to-leading order prediction of 17.0+2.9-2.3 p.b
The inclusive D* production cross section.
The inclusive charm quark pair cross section. The second DSYS error is due to extrapolation.
The measured structure function F2(C=CHARM). The second DSYS error is due to extrapolation.
Deep inelastic electron-photon scattering is studied in the Q**2 range from 1.2 to 30 GeV**2 using the LEP1 data taken with the ALEPH, L3 and OPAL detectors at centre-of-mass energies close to the mass of the Z boson. Distributions of the measured hadronic final state are corrected to the hadron level and compared to the predictions of the HERWIG and PHOJET Monte Carlo models. For large regions in most of the distributions studied the results of the different experiments agree with one another. However, significant differences are found between the data and the models. Therefore the combined LEP data serve as an important input to improve on the Monte Carlo models.
The individual differential cross sections (DSIG/DW) in the low Q**2 regions for the three experiments.. The data are corrected using the HERWIG-kt model.
The combined differential cross sections (DSIG/DW) separately for the low and high Q**2 regions. The data are corrected using the HERWIG-kt model.
The combined differential cross sections (DSIG/DW) separately for the low and high Q**2 regions. The data are corrected using the PHOJET model.
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