The average charged track multiplicity and the normalised distribution of the scaled momentum, $\xp$, of charged final state hadrons are measured in deep-inelastic $\ep$ scattering at high $Q^2$ in the Breit frame of reference. The analysis covers the range of photon virtuality $100 < Q^2 < 20 000 \GeV^{2}$. Compared with previous results presented by HERA experiments this analysis has a significantly higher statistical precision and extends the phase space to higher $Q^{2}$ and to the full range of $\xp$. The results are compared with $e^+e^-$ annihilation data and with various calculations based on perturbative QCD using different models of the hadronisation process.
Average values of Q and X (plus errors) for the different Q**2 ranges.
Average charged hadron multiplicity as a function of Q**2.
Normalised distribution of the scaled momentum as a function of Q**2 in the X range 0 to 0.02.
We have studied hadronic events from e+e- annihilation data at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt{s}=172, 183 and 189 GeV. The total integrated luminosity of the three samples, measured with the OPAL detector, corresponds to 250 pb^-1. We present distributions of event shape variables, charged particle multiplicity and momentum, measured separately in the three data samples. From these we extract measurements of the strong coupling alpha_s, the mean charged particle multiplicity <nch> and the peak position xi_0 in the xi_p=ln(1/x_p) distribution. In general the data are described well by analytic QCD calculations and Monte Carlo models. Our measured values of alpha_s, <nch> and xi_0 are consistent with previous determinations at sqrt{s}=MZ.
Distribution of Thrust.
Distribution of Thrust Major.
Distribution of Thrust Minor.
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