Photonic events with large missing energy have been observed in e+e- collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 189GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. Results are presented for event topologies consistent with a single photon or with an acoplanar photon pair. Cross-section measurements are performed within the kinematic acceptance of each selection, and the number of light neutrino species is measured. Cross-section results are compared with the expectations from the Standard Model process e+e- to nu nubar + photon(s). No evidence is observed for new physics contributions to these final states. Upper limits are derived on sigma(e+e- to XY).BR(X to Y gamma) and sigma(e+e- to XX).BR**2(X to Y gamma) for the case of stable and invisible Y. These limits apply to single and pair production of excited neutrinos (X=nu*, Y = nu), to neutralino production (X=neutralino_2, Y=neutralino_1) and to supersymmetric models in which X = neutralino_1 and Y = light gravitino. The case of macroscopic decay lengths of particle X is considered for e+e- to XX, X to Y gamma, when M_Y is of order zero. The single-photon results are also used to place upper limits on superlight gravitino pair production as well as graviton-photon production in the context of theories with additional space dimensions.
No description provided.
The data recorded at a centre-of-mass energy of 189GeV by the OPAL detector at LEP are used to search for trilinear couplings of the neutral gauge bosons in the process e+e- --> Z-gamma. The cross-sections are measured for multihadronic events with an energetic isolated photon and for events with a high energy photon accompanied by missing energy. These cross-sections and the photon energy, polar angle and isolation angle distributions are compared to the Standard Model predictions and to the theoretical expectations of a model allowing for Z-gamma-Z and Z-gamma-gamma vertices. Since no significant deviations with respect to the Standard Model expectations are found, constraints are derived on the strength of neutral trilinear gauge couplings.
Total sysytematic error for Q Qbar (NU NUbar) channel is 0.154 (0.048) pb.
See text for Z(GAMMA) anomalous coupling definitions. Statistical and systematic errors are combined in quadrature.
From a data sample of 183 pb^-1 recorded at a center-of-mass energy of roots = 189 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP, 3068 W-pair candidate events are selected. Assuming Standard Model W boson decay branching fractions, the W-pair production cross section is measured to be sigmaWW = 16.30 +- 0.34(stat.) +- 0.18(syst.) pb. When combined with previous OPAL measurements, the W boson branching fraction to hadrons is determined to be 68.32 +- 0.61(stat.) +- 0.28(syst.) % assuming lepton universality. These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.
Total W+ W- pair production cross section.
Cross sections for the individual decay modes of the W+ W-.
We compared the multiplicities of pizero, eta, Kzero and of charged particles in quark and gluon jets in 3-jet events, as measured by the OPAL experiment at LEP. The comparisons were performed for distributions unfolded to 100% pure quark and gluon jets, at an effective scale Qjet which took into account topological dependences of the 3-jet environment. The ratio of particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets as a function of Qjet for pizero, eta and Kzero was found to be independent of the particle species. This is consistent with the QCD prediction that the observed enhancement in the mean particle rate in gluon jets with respect to quark jets should be independent of particle species. In contrast to some theoretical predictions and previous observations, we observed no evidence for an enhancement of eta meson production in gluon jets with respect to quark jets, beyond that observed for charged particles. We measured the ratio of the slope of the average charged particle multiplicity in gluon jets to that in quark jets, C, and we compared it to a next-to-next-to-next-to leading order calculation. Our result, C=2.27+-0.20(stat+syst),is about one standard deviation higher than the perturbative prediction.
No description provided.
No description provided.
The rates are measured per hadronic Z decay for gluon splitting to bb(bar) quark pairs, g_bb, and of events containing two bb(bar) quark pairs, g_4b, using a sample of four-jet events selected from data collected with the OPAL detector. Events with an enhanced signal of gluon splitting to bb(bar) quarks are selected if two of the jets are close in phase-space and contain detached secondary vertices. For the event sample containing two bb(bar) quark pairs, three of the four jets are required to have a significantly detached secondary vertex. Information from the event topology is combined in a likelihood fit to extract the values of g_bb and g_4b, namely g_bb = (3.07 +- 0.53(stat) +- 0.97(syst))x10^-3 g_4b = (0.36 +- 0.17(stat) +- 0.27(syst))x10^-3
No description provided.
The photon structure function F2-gamma(x,Q**2) has been measured using data taken by the OPAL detector at centre-of-mass energies of 91Gev, 183Gev and 189Gev, in Q**2 ranges of 1.5 to 30.0 GeV**2 (LEP1), and 7.0 to 30.0 GeV**2 (LEP2), probing lower values of x than ever before. Since previous OPAL analyses, new Monte Carlo models and new methods, such as multi-variable unfolding, have been introduced, reducing significantly the model dependent systematic errors in the measurement.
Results of F2/ALPHAE for the LEP1 data using the SW for Q**2 = 1.9 GeV**2.
Results of F2/ALPHAE for the LEP1 data using the SW for Q**2 = 3.7 GeV**2.
Results of F2/ALPHAE for the LEP1 data using the FD for Q**2 = 8.9 GeV**2.
A measurement of triple gauge boson couplings is presented, based on W-pair data recorded by the OPAL detector at LEP during 1998 at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV with an integrated luminosity of 183 pb^-1. After combining with our previous measurements at centre-of-mass energies of 161-183 GeV we obtain k_g=0.97 +0.20 -0.16, g_1^z=0.991 +0.060 -0.057 and lambda_g=-0.110 +0.058 -0.055, where the errors include both statistical and systematic uncertainties and each coupling is determined by setting the other two couplings to their SM values. These results are consistent with the Standard Model expectations.
Triple gauge boson couplings. All systematic errors are added in quadrature.
Using data from e+e- annihilation into hadrons, taken with the OPAL detector at LEP at the Z pole between 1991 and 1995, we performed a simultaneous measurement of the colour factors of the underlying gauge group of the strong interaction, CF and CA, and the strong coupling, alpha(s). The measurement was carried out by fitting next-to-leading order perturbative predictions to measured angular correlations of 4-jet events together with multi-jet related variables. Our results, CA = 3.02 +/- 0.25 (stat.) +/- 0.49 (syst.), CF = 1.34 +/- 0.13 (stat.) +/- 0.22 (syst.), alpha(s)(M_Z) = 0.120 +/- 0.011 (stat.) +/- 0.020 (syst.), provide a test of perturbative QCD in which the only assumptions are non-abelian gauge symmetry and standard hadronization models. The measurements are in agreement with SU(3) expectations for CF and CA and the world average of alpha(s)(M_Z).
CA, CF are the color factors for SU(N) group.
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).
Measurements are presented of the polarisation of W+W- boson pairs produced in e+e- collisions, and of CP-violating WWZ and WWGamma trilinear gauge couplings. The data were recorded by the OPAL experiment at LEP during 1998, where a total integrated luminosity of 183 pb^-1 was obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. The measurements are performed through a spin density matrix analysis of the W boson decay products. The fraction of W bosons produced with longitudinal polarisation was found to be sigma_L/sigma_total = (21.0 +- 3.3 +- 1.6)% where the first error is statistical and the second systematic. The joint W boson pair production fractions were found to be sigma_TT/sigma_total = (78.1 +- 9.0 +- 3.2) %, sigma_LL/sigma_total = (20.1 +- 7.2 +- 1.8) % and sigma_TL/sigma_total = (1.8 +- 14.7 +- 3.8) %. In the CP-violating trilinear gauge coupling sector we find kappa_z = -0.20 +0.10 -0.07, g^z_4 = -0.02 +0.32 -0.33 and lambda_z = -0.18 +0.24 -0.16, where errors include both statistical and systematic uncertainties. In each case the coupling is determined with all other couplings set to their Standard Model values except those related to the measured coupling via SU(2)_LxU(1)_Y symmetry. These results are consistent with Standard Model expectations.
Individual W-boson transverse polarised cross-sections.
Individual W-boson longitudinal polarised cross-sections.
W pair polarized cross-sections. (C=TT), (C=LL), and (C=TL) stand for both W transversely polarised, for both W longitudinally polarised, and for transversely and longitudinally polarisedW-bosons, respectively.