We have collected 122 multi-hadronic inclusive muon events with the TOPAZ detector at 〈 s 〉 = 58.27 GeV with ∫ L d t=40.61 pb −1 . From this event sample we derived the differential cross section for B-hadron productions and determined B-hadron forward-backward asymmetry (A b b ) to be A b b = −0.71 ± 0.34 ( stat ) +0.07 −0.08 ( syst ) . A fit to the differential cross section, after correcting for the effect of B 0 B 0 mixing, yielded the axial-vector coupling constant of the b-quark ( a b ): a b = −1.79 +0.34 −0.32 (stat) +0.15 −0.14 (syst). We also set a 90% confidence level limit of χ <0.37 on the B 0 B 0 mixing parameter.

A charge asymmetry has been observed in final-state jets from e+e− annihilation into hadrons at √s =29 GeV. The measured asymmetry is consistent with the prediction of electroweak theory. The product of axial-vector weak coupling constants, averaged over all quark flavors, is determined to be 〈gAegAq〉=-0.34±0.06±0.05.

Cross-section and angular distributions for hadronic and lepton-pair final states in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies between 189 GeV and 209 GeV, measured with the OPAL detector at LEP, are presented and compared with the predictions of the Standard Model. The measurements are used to determine the electromagnetic coupling constant alphaem at LEP2 energies. In addition, the results are used together with OPAL measurements at 91-183 GeV within the S-matrix formalism to determine the gamma-Z interference term and to make an almost model-independent measurement of the Z mass. Limits on extensions to the Standard Model described by effective four-fermion contact interactions or the addition of a heavy Z boson are also presented.

We have measured the process e+e−→μ+μ− at √s =29 GeV using the High Resolution Spectrometer at SLAC PEP. The forward-backward charge asymmetry is Aμμ=-(4.9±1.5±0.5)% based on 5057 events. A subsample of 3488 μ+μ− events in the angular range ‖cosθ‖<0.55 gives a cross-section ratio of Rμμ=0.990±0.017±0.030. The resulting couplings of the weak neutral current are gaegaμ=0.208±0.064± 0.021 and gvegvμ=0.027 ±0.051±0.089. The QED cutoff parameters are Λ+>170 GeV and Λ−>146 GeV at 95% C.L.

During the initial data run with the High Resolution Spectrometer (HRS) at SLAC PEP, an integrated luminosity of 19.6 pb−1 at a center-of-mass energy of 29 GeV was accumulated. The data on Bhabha scattering and muon pair production are compared with the predictions of QED and the standard model of electroweak interactions. The measured forward-backward charge asymmetry in the angular distribution of muon pairs is -8.4%±4.3%. A comparison between the data and theoretical predictions places limits on alternative descriptions of leptons and their interactions. The existence of heavy electronlike or photonlike objects that alter the structure of the QED vertices or modify the propagator are studied in terms of the QED cutoff parameters. The Bhabha-scattering results give a lower limit on a massive photon and upper limits on the effective size of the electron of Λ+>121 GeV and Λ−>118 GeV at the 95% confidence level. Muon pair production yields Λ+>172 GeV and Λ−>172 GeV. If electrons have substructure, the magnitude and character of the couplings of the leptonic constituents affects the Bhabha-scattering angular distributions to such an extent that limits on the order of a TeV can be extracted on the effective interaction length of the components. For models in which the constituents interact with vector couplings of strength g24π∼1, the energy scale ΛVV for the contact interaction is measured to be greater than 1419.0 GeV at the 95% confidence level. We set limits on the production of supersymmetric scalar electrons through s-channel single-photon annihilation and t-channel inelastic scattering. Using events with two noncollinear electrons and no other charged or observed neutral particles in the final state, we see one event which is consistent with a simple supersymmetric model but which is also consistent with QED. This allows us to exclude the scalar electron to 95% confidence level in the mass range 1.8 to 14.2 GeV/c2.

Data of the ηπ − system were obtained in the reaction π − p → ηπ − p at 6.3 GeV/ c beam momentum. About 17 k events of ηπ − were collected in the mass range 0.8 ⩽ M ηπ - ⩽ 1.8 GeV/ c 2 and in the range of the momentum transfer squared 0.075 ⩽ | t ′| ⩽ 0.60 (GeV/ c ) 2 . A large forward-backward asymmetry was observed around 1.3 GeV/ c 2 in the Gottfried-Jackson frame of the ηπ − system. A partial wave analysis of the data was performed. A peak of the D + wave attributed to a 2 (1320) is clearly seen. An enhancement is observed around 1.3 GeV/ c 2 in the P + wave.

We report on a study of inclusive production ofD*± mesons ine+e− annihilation at c.m. energies between 28 and 46.8 GeV using the TASSO detector at the PETRA storage ring. A hardD*± energy spectrum is measured with a maximum nearED*±≃0.6Ebeam. The measured cross section ratio\((\sigma _{D^{* + } }+ \sigma _{D^{* - } } )/\sigma _{\mu \mu }= 1.28 \pm 0.09 \pm 0.18\) indicates thatD* production accounts for a large fraction of the observed charm production. Two complementary methods have been used to determine the forward-backward asymmetry of charm pair production due to electroweak interference. Combining both measurements the product of the axial vector couplings of the electron and the charm quark to the weak neutral current was determined to begAegAc=−(0.276±0.073), in agreement with the standard model prediction of −0.25. Using a sample of reconstructedD*± mesons, the relative strength of the strong interaction coupling of thec quark compared to that of an average of all flavours is measured as αs(c)/αs(all)=0.91±0.38±0.15, consistent with the coupling constant being flavour independent. An update of ourD0 lifetime measurement is presented, based on a considerable increase in statistics, the final result being\(\tau _{D^0= } (4.8 \pm _{0.9 - 0.7}^{1.0 + 0.5} )10^{ - 13} s\).

Production of events with hadronic and leptonic final states has been measured in e^+e^- collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 130-172 GeV, using the OPAL detector at LEP. Cross-sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries are presented, both including and excluding the dominant production of radiative Z \gamma events, and compared to Standard Model expectations. The ratio R_b of the cross-section for bb(bar) production to the hadronic cross-section has been measured. In a model-independent fit to the Z lineshape, the data have been used to obtain an improved precision on the measurement of \gamma-Z interference. The energy dependence of \alpha_em has been investigated. The measurements have also been used to obtain limits on extensions of the Standard Model described by effective four-fermion contact interactions, to search for t-channel contributions from new massive particles and to place limits on chargino pair production with subsequent decay of the chargino into a light gluino and a quark pair.

Cross-sections and angular distributions for hadronic and lepton pair final states in e+e- collisions at a centre-of-mass energy near 189 GeV, measured with the OPAL detector at LEP, are presented and compared with the predictions of the Standard Model. The results are used to measure the energy dependence of the electromagnetic coupling constant alpha_em, and to place limits on new physics as described by four-fermion contact interactions or by the exchange of a new heavy particle such as a sneutrino in supersymmetric theories with R-parity violation. A search for the indirect effects of the gravitational interaction in extra dimensions on the mu+mu- and tau+tau- final states is also presented.

A high-statistics measurement has been made of the process e+e−→μ+μ− at s=29 GeV with the MAC detector at the SLAC storage ring PEP. The electroweak forward-backward charge asymmetry for a sample of approximately 16 000 events was measured to be Aμμ=−0.063±0.008±0.002. The ratio of the cross section to the lowest-order QED cross section was measured to be Rμμ=1.01±0.01±0.03. From these results the weak neutral axial-vector and vector couplings are determined to be gAegAμ=0.25±0.03±0.01 and gVegVμ=−0.02±0.03±0.09.