Infrared and collinear safe event shape distributions and their mean values are determined in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 45 and 202 GeV. A phenomenological analysis based on power correction models including hadron mass effects for both differential distributions and mean values is presented. Using power corrections, alpha_s is extracted from the mean values and shapes. In an alternative approach, renormalisation group invariance (RGI) is used as an explicit constraint, leading to a consistent description of mean values without the need for sizeable power corrections. The QCD beta-function is precisely measured using this approach. From the DELPHI data on Thrust, including data from low energy experiments, one finds beta_0 = 7.86 +/- 0.32 for the one loop coefficient of the beta-function or, assuming QCD, n_f = 4.75 +/- 0.44 for the number of active flavours. These values agree well with the QCD expectation of beta_0=7.67 and n_f=5. A direct measurement of the full logarithmic energy slope excludes light gluinos with a mass below 5 GeV.
1-THRUST distribution.
THRUST-MAJOR distribution.
THRUST-MINOR distribution.
Event shape and charged particle inclusive distributions are measured using 750000 decays of the Z to hadrons from the DELPHI detector at LEP. These precise data allow a decisive confrontation with models of the hadronization process. Improved tunings of the JETSET, ARIADNE and HERWIG parton shower models and the JETSET matrix element model are obtained by fitting the models to these DELPHI data as well as to identified particle distributions from all LEP experiments. The description of the data distributions by the models is critically reviewed with special importance attributed to identified particles.
Transverse momentum PTIN w.r.t. the Thrust axis. For the first table Thrust axis definition is from seen charged particles corrected to final state particles. For the second table Thrust axis definition is from seen charged plus neutral particles corrected to final state charged plus neutral particles.
Transverse momentum PTOUT w.r.t. the Thrust axis. For the first table Thrust axis definition is from seen charged particles corrected to final state particles. For the second table Thrust axis definition is from seen charged plus neutral particles corrected to final state charged plus neutral particles.
Transverse momentum PTIN w.r.t. the Sphericity axis. For the first table Sphericity axis definition is from seen charged particles corrected to final state particles. For the second table Sphericity axis definition is from seen charged plus neutral particles corrected to final state charged plus neutral particles.
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