Inclusive production of $\mathrm{D^{*\pm}}$ mesons in two-photon collisions was measured by the L3 experiment at LEP. The data were collected at a centre-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s} = 189$ GeV with an integrated luminosity of $176.4 \mathrm{pb^{-1}}$. Differential cross sections of the process $\mathrm{e^+e^- \to D^{*\pm} X}$ are determined as functions of the transverse momentum and pseudorapidity of the $\mathrm{D^{*\pm}}$ mesons in the kinematic region 1 GeV $< p_{T}^{\mathrm{D^*}} < 5 $ GeV and $\mathrm{|\eta^{D^*}|} < 1.4$. The cross section integrated over this phase space domain is measured to be $132 \pm 22(stat.) \pm 26(syst.)$ pb. The differential cross sections are compared with next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations.

The hadronic lineshape of the Z has been analyzed for evidence of signals of new, narrow vector resonances in the Z-mass range. The production rate of such resonances would be enhanced due to mixing with the Z. No evidence for new states is found, and it is thus possible to exclude, at the 95% confidence level, a quarkonium state in the mass range from 87.7 to 94.7 GeV.

We have measured the cross-section of the reaction e + e − → γγ at center of mass energies around the Z 0 mass. The results are in good agreement with QED predictions. For the QED cutoff parameters the limit of Λ + > 103 GeV and Λ − 118 GeV are found. For the decays Z 0 → γ ,Z 0 → π 0 γ , Z 0 → γγγ we find upper limits of 2.9 × 10 −4 ,2.9×10 −4 ,4.1×10 −4 and 1.2×10 −4 , respectively. All limits are at 95% CL.

We have measured the partial widths for the three reactions e + e − → Z 0 → e + e − , μ + μ − , τ + τ − . The results are Γ ee = 84.3±1.3 MeV, √ Γ ee Γ μμ =83.9±1.4 MeV, and √ Γ ee Γ ττ =83.9±1.4 MeV, where the errors are statistical. The systematic errors are estimated to be 1.0 MeV, 0.9 MeV, and 1.4 MeV, respectively. We perform a simultaneous fit to the cross sections for the e + e − →e + e − , μ + μ − , and τ + τ − data, the differential cross section as a function of polar angle for the electron data, and the forward- backward asymmetry for the muon data. We obtain the leptonic partial with Γ ℓℓ =84.0±0.9 (stat.) MeV. The systematic error is estimated to be 0.8 MeV. Also, we obtain the axial-vector and vector weak coupling constants of charged leptons, g A =−0.500±0.003 and g ν =−0.064 −0.013 +0.017 .

We have made a precise measurement of the cross section for e + e − →Z 0 →hadrons with the L3 detector at LEP, covering the s range from 88.28 to 95.04 GeV. From a fit to the Z 0 mass, total width, and the hadronic cross section to be M Z 0 =91.160 ± 0.024 (experiment) ±0.030(LEP) GeV, Γ Z 0 =2.539±0.054 GeV, and σ h ( M Z 0 )=29.5±0.7 nb. We also used the fit to the Z 0 peak cross section and the width todetermine Γ invisible =0.548±0.029 GeV, which corresponds to 3.29±0.17 species of light neutrinos. The possibility of four or more neutrino flavors is thus ruled out at the 4σ confidence level.

We report the results of first physics runs of the L3 detector at LEP. Based on 2538 hadron events, we determined the mass m z 0 and the width Γ z 0 of the intermediate vector boson Z 0 to be m z 0 =91.132±0.057 GeV (not including the 46 MeV LEP machine energy uncertainty) and Γ z 0 =2.588±0.137 GeV. We also determined Γ invisible =0.567±0.080 GeV, corresponding to 3.42±0.48 number of neutrino flavors. We also measured the muon pair cross section and determined the branching ratio Γ μμ = Γ h =0.056±0.006. The partial width of Z 0 →e + e − is Γ ee =88±9±7 MeV.

The search for an additional heavy gauge boson Z′ is described. The models considered are based on either a superstring-motivated E 6 or on a left-right symmetry and assume a minimal Higgs sector. Cross sections and asymmetries measured with the L3 detector in the vicinity of the Z resonance during the 1990 and 1991 running periods are used to determine limits on the Z-Z′ gauge boson mixing angle and on the Z′ mass. For Z′ masses above the direct limits, we obtain the following allowed ranges of the mixing angle, θ M at the 95% confidence level: −0.004 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.015 for the χ model, −0.003 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.020 for the ψ model, −0.029 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.010 for the η model, −0.002 ⪕ θ M ⪕ 0.020 for the LR model,

We have measured the total and differential cross sections of the reaction e + e − → γγ ( γ ) at center-of-mass energies around 91 GeV, with an integrated luminosity of 14.2 pb −1 . The results are in good agreement with QED predictions. We set lower limits, at 95% confidence level, on the QED cutoff parameters of Λ + > 139 GeV, Λ − > 108 GeV and on the mass of an excited electron of m e∗ > 127 GeV . We searched for Z 0 rare decays with photonic signitures in the final state. Upper limits, at 95% confidence level, for branching ratio of Z 0 decaying into π 0 γ / γγ , νγ and γγγ are 1.2 × 10 −4 , 1.8 × 10 −4 , 3.3 × 10 −5 respectively.

We have measured the cross-section of the production of single photon events in e + e − collisions near the Z 0 resonance. For an integrated luminosity of 9.6 pb −1 , we have observed 202 single photon candidates with energy between 0.9 and 3.5 GeV in the polar angular region between 45° and 135°. Assuming that the only stable weakly interacting particles are light neutrinos with standard model couplings, we determine the number of light neutrino species to be N v = 3.14 ± 0.24 (stat.)±0.12 (syst.). This corresponds to an invisible Z 0 width of Γ inv = 524 ± 40 ± 20 MeV.

The L3 detector at LEP has been used to determine the number of light neutrino families by measuring the cross section of single photon even in e + e − collisions at energies near the Z 0 resonance. We have observed 61 single photon candidates with more than 1.5 GeV of deposited energy in the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter, for a total integrated luminosity of 3.0 pb −1 . From a likelihood fir to the single photon cross sections, we determin N ν =3.24 ± 0.46 ( statistical ) ±0.22 ( systematic ).