We report on a search for a phase transition from ordinary nuclear matter to a state of deconfined quarks and gluons as predicted by lattice QCD calculations. A new measurement of charmonium production in Pb-Pb interactions at 158 GeV/ c per nucleon agrees with our previous results and confirms the anomalous J/ ψ suppression we had already observed on a significantly smaller data sample. New event selection and analysis techniques show that, for peripheral collisions, the J/ ψ cross-section per nucleon-nucleon collision agrees with the precise suppression pattern inferred from a wide range of measurements extending from p-p up to S-U collisions. As the collisions become more central, the Pb-Pb cross-section exhibits a clear departure from this normal behaviour. The onset of the anomalous J/ ψ suppression reported here is the first clear observation of a threshold effect in heavy ion collisions and can be considered as a strong indication of the production of a deconfined quark-gluon phase in central Pb-Pb collisions.

The structure of both quasi-real and highly virtual photons is investigated using the reaction e+e- -> e+e-mu+mu-, proceeding via the exchange of two photons. The results are based on the complete OPAL dataset taken at e+e- centre-of-mass energies close to the mass of the Z boson. The QED structure function F_2^gamma and the differential cross-section dsigdx for quasi-real photons are obtained as functions of the fractional momentum x from the muon momentum which is carried by the struck muon in the quasi-real photon for values of Q**2 ranging from 1.5 to 400 GeV**2. The differential cross-section dsigdx for highly virtual photons is measured for 1.5< Q**2 < 30 GeV**2 and 1.5< P**2 < 20 GeV**2, where Q**2 and P**2 are the negative values of the four-momentum squared of the two photons such that Q**2 > P**2. Based on azimuthal correlations the QED structure functions F_A^gamma and F_B^gamma for quasi-real photons are determined for an average Q**2 of 5.4 GeV**2.

We extract a set of values for the Gross-Llewellyn Smith sum rule at different values of 4-momentum transfer squared ($Q^{2}$), by combining revised CCFR neutrino data with data from other neutrino deep-inelastic scattering experiments for $1 < Q^2 < 15 GeV^2/c^2$. A comparison with the order $\alpha^{3}_{s}$ theoretical predictions yields a determination of $\alpha_{s}$ at the scale of the Z-boson mass of $0.114 \pm^{.009}_{.012}$. This measurement provides a new and useful test of perturbative QCD at low $Q^2$, because of the low uncertainties in the higher order calculations.

The reactions e + e − → e + e − e + e − and e + e − → e + e − μ + μ − , in a single tag configuration, are studied at LEP with the L3 detector. The data set corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 93.7 pb −1 at s =91 GeV. Differential cross sections are measured for 1.4 GeV 2 ≤Q 2 ≤7.6 GeV 2 . The leptonic photon structure function F γ 2 and azimuthal correlations are measured for e + e − → e + e − μ + μ − . The related structure functions F γ A and F γ B , which originate from interference terms of the scattering amplitudes, are determined for the first time.

A search for phi radiative decays has been performed using a data sample of about 2.0 million phi decays collected by the CMD-2 detector at VEPP-2M collider in Novosibirsk. From the selected e+ e- -> pi+ pi- gamma events the following results were obtained: B(phi -> f0(980) gamma) < 1x10-4 for destructive and B(phi -> f0(980) gamma) < 7x10-4 for constructive interference with the Bremsstrahlung process respectively, B(phi -> gamma -> pi+ pi- gamma) < 3x10-5 for E of gamma > 20 MeV, B(phi -> rho gamma) < 7x10-4. From the selected e+ e- -> mu+ mu- gamma events B(phi -> mu+ mu- gamma) = (2.3+-1.0)x10-5 has been obtained for E of gamma> 20 MeV. The upper limit on the P,CP-violating decay eta -> pi+ pi- has also been placed: B(eta -> pi+ pi-) < 9x10-4 . All upper limits are at 90 % C.L.

We report on measurements of e + e − annihilation into hadrons and lepton pairs. The data have been taken with the L3 detector at LEP at center-of-mass energies between 161 GeV and 172 GeV. In a data sample corresponding to 21.2 pb −1 of integrated luminosity 2728 hadronic and 868 lepton-pair events are selected. The measured cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries agree well with the Standard Model predictions.

Two samples of exclusive semileptonic decays, 579 B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ events and 261 B 0 → D + ℓ − ν ℓ events, are selected from approximately 3.9 million hadronic Z decays collected by the ALEPH detector at LEP. From the reconstructed differential decay rate of each sample, the product of the hadronic form factor F (ω) at zero recoil of the D (∗)+ meson and the CKM matrix element | V cb | are measured to be F D ∗+ (1)|V cb | = (31.9 ± 1.8 stat ± 1.9 syst ) × 10 −3 , F D + (1)| V cb | = (27.8 ± 6.8 stat ± 6.5 syst ) × 10 −3 . The ratio of the form factors F D + (1) and F D ∗+ (1) is measured to be F D + (1) F D ∗+ (1) = 0.87 ± 0.22 stat ± 0.21 syst . A value of | V cb | is extracted from the two samples, using theoretical constraints on the slope and curvature of the hadronic form factors and their normalization at zero recoil, with the result | V cb | = (34.4 ± 1.6 stat ± 2.3 syst ± 1.4 th ) × 10 −3 . The branching fractions are measured from the two integrated spectra to be Br ( B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ ) = (5.53 ± 0.26 stat ±0.52 syst ) %, Br ( B 0 → D ∗+ ℓ − ν ℓ ) = (2.35 ± 0.20 stat ± 0.44 syst ) %.

We report our final results from the analysis of the full high statistics sample of events of the reaction ν μ + e − → μ − + ν c collected with the CHARM II detector in the CERN wide-band neutrino beam during the years 1988 to 1991. From a signal of 15758 ± 324 inverse muon decay events we derived, inthe Born approximation, a value of (16.51 ± 0.93) × 10 −42 cm 2 GeV −1 for the asymptotic cross section slope σ E ν , in goodagreement with the Standard Model prediction of 17.23 × 10 −42 cm 2 GeV −1 . The result constrains the scalar coupling of the electron and the muon to | g LL S | 2 < 0.475 at 90% CL.

Nuclear shadowing is observed in the per-nucleon cross-sections of positive muons on carbon, calcium and lead as compared to deuterium. The data were taken by Fermilab experiment E665 using inelastically scattered muons of mean incident momentum 470 GeV/c. Cross-section ratios are presented in the kinematic region 0.0001 < XBj <0.56 and 0.1 < Q**2 < 80 GeVc. The data are consistent with no significant nu or Q**2 dependence at fixed XBj. As XBj decreases, the size of the shadowing effect, as well as its A dependence, are found to approach the corresponding measurements in photoproduction.

We present the basic characteristics of singly, doubly and heavily charged fragments of the incident nucleus in inelastic interactions of relativistic24Mg nuclei in nuclear emulsion. The relationship between the charge of the incident projectile nuclei and those of the projectile fragments is studied. The result reflects the importance of the charge of the incident projectiles and consequently the electromagnetic interactions in the fragmentation processes.