A measurement of the strong coupling constant α S is presented using hadronic events produced in e + e − annihilations at s =58.0 GeV from the AMY detector at TRISTAN. The measurement is based on comparisons of the distributions of thrust, heavy jet mass, total jet broadening, wide jet broadening, and energy-energy correlations with QCD calculations resummed up to next-to-leading-logarithms matched with the O ( α S 2 ) perturbative calculation. Combining the results of the individual evaluations, we find α S (58 GeV )=0.132±0.006 .

The photon structure function F 2 γ has been measured at an average Q 2 value of 6.8 GeV 2 using data collected by the AMY detector at the TRISTAN e + e − collider. The measured F 2 γ is compared with several QCD-based parton density models.

The forward-backward asymmetry in e + e − → b b at s = 57.9 GeV and the b-quark branching ratio to muons have been measured using neural networks. Unlike previous methods for measuring the b b forward-backward asymmetry where the estimated background from c -quark decays and other sources are subtracted, here events are categorized as either b b or non- b b events by neural networks based on event-by-event characteristics. The determined asymmetry is −0.429 ± 0.044 (stat) ± 0.047 (sys) and is consistent with the prediction of the standard model. The measured B B mixing parameter is 0.136 ± 0.037 (stat) ± 0.040 (sys) ± 0.002 (model) and the measured b-quark branching ratio to muons is 0.122 ± 0.006 (stat) ± 0.007 (sys).

A study of e + e − annihilations into final states containing a single energetic photon with no accompanying particles is made at a center of mass energy of 57.8 GeV. The measured cross section is consistent with expectations from standard model processes and is used to set limits on the masses of the scalar electron and photino particles predicted by supersymmetry theories. If the photino is assumed to be massless, the 90% confidence level lower limit on the mass of the degenerate scalar electron is 65.5 GeV. If the results of all the single photon experiments are combined, this lower limit increases to 79.3 GeV.

We present a study of differential two jet ratios in multi-hadronic final states produced by e + e − annihilation in the AMY detector at TRISTAN. The data are compared to the predictions of the next-to-leading logarithm parton-shower (NLL PS) Monte Carlo and the O ( α s 2 ) matrix element QCD models. We determine the strong coupling strength α s (57.3 GeV) = 0.130 ± 0.006.

The photon structure function F 2 γ has been measured at average Q 2 values of 73 and 390 GeV 2 using data collected by the AMY detector at the TRISTAN e + e − collider. F 2 γ is observed to be increasing as ln Q 2 . The x -dependence of F 2 γ , where x is the momentum fraction carried by the parton inside the photon, is also measured. The measurements are compared with several parton density models.

With data corresponding to 142 pb −1 accumulated at s = 57.8 GeV by the AMY detector at TRISTAN we measure the cross section of the reactions e + e − → μ + μ − and e + e − → τ + τ − and the symmetry in the angular distributions. For the lowest order cross section we obtain σ μμ = 27.54 ± 0.65 ± 0.95 pb and σ ττ = 28.27 ± 0.87 ± 0.69 pb, and for the forward-backward asymmetry, A μμ = 0.303 ± 0.027 ± 0.008 and A ττ = −0.291 ± 0.040 ± 0.019. These measurements agree with the standard model. Assuming e − μ − τ univrsality we extract the vector and axial coupling constants | gν | = 0.00 ± 0.09 and | g A | = 0.476 ± 0.024. A fit of data to composite models places lower bounds (95% confidence level) on the compositeness scale of 2–4 TeV.

Using 773 muons found in hadronic events from 142 pb−1 of data at a c.m. energy of 57.8 GeV, we extract the cross section and forward-backward charge asymmetry for the e+e−→bb¯ process, and the heavy quark fragmentation function parameters for the Peterson model. For the analysis of the e+e−→bb¯ process, we use a method in which the behavior of the c quark and lighter quarks is assumed, with only that of the b quark left indeterminate. The cross section and asymmetry for e+e−→bb¯ are found to be Rb = 0.57 ± 0.06(stat) ± 0.08(syst) and Ab = −0.59 ± 0.09 ± 0.09, respectively. They are consistent with the standard model predictions. For the study of the fragmentation function we use the variable 〈xE〉, the fraction of the beam energy carried by the heavy hadrons. We obtain 〈xE〉c=0.56−0.05−0.03+0.04+0.03 and 〈xE〉b=0.65−0.04−0.06+0.06+0.05, respectively. These are in good agreement with previously measured values.

We report on a measurement of the forward-backward charge asymmetry in e+e−→qq¯ at KEK TRISTAN, where the asymmetry is near maximum. We sum over all flavors and measure the asymmetry by determining the charge of the quark jets. In addition we exploit flavor dependencies in the jet charge determination to enhance the contributions of certain flavors. This provides a check on the asymmetries of individual flavors. The measurement agrees with the standard model expectations.

We present a study of the third moment of the inclusive momentum distribution of particles within jets produced by e + e - annihilation at TRISTAN. In this analysis, the QCD coupling strength α s is determined by fits to the prediction of the Next-to-Leading Logarithm Parton-Shower model. The measured value of α s (57.9 GeV ) = 0.134 -0.005 +0.006 .

The photon structure function F 2 has been measured at average Q 2 values of 73,160 and 390 ( GeV c ) 2 . We compare the x dependence of the Q 2 = 73 ( GeV c ) 2 data with theoretical expectations based on QCD. In addition we present results on the Q 2 evolution of the structure function for the intermediate x range (0.3⩽ x ⩽0.8). The results are consistent with QCD.

We report results of a study of four-lepton final states produced in e + e − collisions at center-of-mass energies from 50 to 61.4 GeV using the AMY detector at the TRISTAN collider. For the cases where two or three charged tracks are produced at large angles relative to the beam direction, the cross sections agree with QED. However, we observe an excess of e + e − → e + e − μ + μ − events with four tracks at wide angles and with dimuon mass less than 1.0 GeV / c 2 .

The ratio R of the total cross section for e+e− annihilation into hadrons to the lowest-order QED cross section for e+e−→μ+μ− has been measured for center-of-mass energies ranging from 50 to 61.4 GeV. If we allow for an overall shift of —4.9%, about 1.5 times our estimated normalization error, the results are consistent with the standard-model predictions.

The forward-backward asymmetry of quarks produced in e+e− annihilations, summed over all flavors, is measured at √s between 50 and 60.8 GeV. Methods of determining the charge direction of jet pairs are discussed. The asymmetry is found to agree with the five-flavor standard model.

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Using 123 multihadronic inclusive muon-production e+e− annihilation events at an average c.m. energy of 55.2 GeV, we extracted the forward-backward charge asymmetry of the e+e−→bb¯ process and the R ratio for bb¯ production. We used an analysis method in which the behavior of the c quark and lighter quarks is assumed, with only that of the b quark left indeterminate. The results, Ab=-0.72±0.28(stat)±0.13(syst) and Rb=0.57±0.16±0.10, are consistent with the standard model.

The total cross section for e + e − annihilation into hadrons has been measured for CM energies ranging from 50 to 57 GeV. We fit the predictions of the standard model to these measurements and those at lower energies. The mass of the Z 0 boson, M Z , and the QCD scale parameter, Λ MS , are derived from the fit. The results are M Z =88.6 −1.8 +2.0 GeV/ c 2 , and Λ MS =0.15 −0.11 +0.16 GeV .

We present evidence for the non-Abelian nature of QCD from a study of multijet events produced in e+e− annihilations from √s =50 to 57 GeV in the AMY detector at the KEK storage ring TRISTAN. A comparison of the three-jet event fraction at TRISTAN to the fraction of the DESY storage ring PETRA shows that the QCD coupling strength αs decreases with increasing Q2. In addition, measurements of the angular distributions of four-jet events show evidence for the triple-gluon vertex.

Measurements of the differential cross sections for e + e − →μ + μ − and e + e − →τ + τ − at values of s from 52 to 57 GeV are reported. The forward-backward asymmetries and the total cross sections for these reactions are found to be in agreement with predictions of the standard model of the electro-weak interactions. These measurements are used to extract values of the weak coupling constant g v e g v l and g A e g A l , where l = μ or τ .

A search for pair production of fourth-generation sequential leptons in e+e− annihilation at a center-of-mass energy s=56 GeV is reported. Event topologies corresponding to the cases where one particle decays leptonically while the other decays hadronically as well as those where both particles decay hadronically were explored. We set a 95%-confidence-level lower limit of 27.6 GeV/c2 for the mass of a fourth-generation lepton.

The ratio R of the cross section for e+e− annihilation into hadronic final states to the QED cross section for muon-pair production is measured to be 4.34±0.45±0.30 and 4.23±0.20±0.21 at c.m. energies of 50 and 52 GeV, respectively. From these values of R and an analysis of the event shapes we deduce a 95%-confidence-level upper limit for the production rate of new heavy charge +23e or −13e quarks to be 0.19 units of R.