B.C.C. van der Zwaan

Study of the structure of hadronic events and determination of αS at s = 130 GeV and 136 GeV

We present a study of the structure of hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at center-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV. The data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 5 pb-1 collected during the high energy run of 1995. The shapes of the event shape distributions and the energy dependence of their mean values are well reproduced by QCD models. From a comparison of the data with resummed O(alpha_s^2) QCD calculations, we determine the strong coupling constant to be alpha_s(133 GeV) = 0.107 +/- 0.005(exp) +/- 0.006(theor).

Measurement of inclusive production of neutral hadrons from Z decays

We present a study of the inclusive production of π0, η, Ks0 and Λ based on 929,000 hadronic Z decays recorded with the L3 detector at LEP. The measured inclusive momentum distributions have been compared with predictions from parton shower models as well as an analytical Quantum Chromodynamics calculation. Comparing to low energy e+e- data, we find that QCD describes the energy evolution of the hadron spectrum.

Search for neutralinos in Z decays

Abstract We have searched for neutralinos produced via the reactions e + e − → χχ′ and e + e − → χ′χ′, where the next-to lightest neutralino, χ′, decays into the lightest neutralino, χ, and either a photon or a fermion pair. Based on 1.8 × 10 6 hadronic Z decays collected with the L3 detector at LEP, no signal has been observed. We present upper limits of a few times 10 −5 on the branching ratios Z → χχ′ and Z → χ′χ′. In the framework of the Minimial Supersymmetric Standard Model, we exclude a lightest χ with m χ less than 18 GeV, if either tan β > 2 or the gluino mass m ≈ g > 100 GeV.

Measurement of hadron and lepton-pair production at 130 GeV<root s<140 GeV at LEP

Abstract We report on measurements of e+e− annihilation into hadrons and lepton pairs. The data have been collected with the L3 detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 130 and 189 GeV. Using a total integrated luminosity of 243.7 pb−1, 25864 hadronic and 8573 lepton-pair events are selected for the measurement of cross sections and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries. The results are in good agreement with Standard Model predictions.

Measurement of energetic single-photon production at LEP

Abstract We describe the sample of energetic single-photon events (Eγ > 15 GeV) collected by L3 in the 1991–1993 LEP runs. The event distributions agree with expectations from the Standard Model. The data are used to constrain the ZZγ coupling and to set an upper limit of 4.1 × 10−6, μB (90% C.L.) on the the magnetic moment of the τ neutrino.

B∗ production in Z decays at LEP

Abstract The production of B∗ mesons in Z decays has been measured at LEP with the L3 detector. A sample of Z → b b events was obtained by tagging muons in 1.6 million hadronic Z decays collected in 1991, 1992 and 1993. A signal with a peak value of Eγ = 46.3 ± 1.9 (stat) MeV in the B rest frame energy spectrum was interpreted to come from the decay B∗ → γB. The inclusive production ratio of B∗ mesons relative to B mesons was determined from a fit to the spectrum to be N B ∗ (N B ∗ + N B ) = 0.76 ± 0.08 ± 0.06 , where the first error is statistical and the second is systematic.

Search for Neutral Charmless B-Decays at Lep

Abstract A search for rare charmless decays of B d 0 and B s 0 mesons has been performed in the exclusive channels B d(s) 0 → ηη , B d(s) 0 → ηπ 0 and B d(s) 0 → π 0 π 0 . The data sample consisted of three million hadronic Z decays collected by the L3 experiment at LEP from 1991 through 1994. No candidate event has been observed and the following upper limits at 90% confidence level on the branching ratios have been set: Br ( B () d → ηη ) x 10 −4 , Br ( B () s → ηη ) x 10 −3 , Br ( B () d → ηφ () ) x 10 −4 , Br ( B () s → ηphi ; () ) x 10 −3 , Br ( B () d → phi ; () phi ; () ) x 10 −5 , Br ( B () s → phi ; () phi ; () ) x 10 −4 . These are the first experimental limits on B d 0 →ηη and on the B s 0 neutral charmless modes.

Evidence for gluon interference in hadronic Z decays

We present evidence for soft gluon interference, as required by QCD. This interference is expected to manifest itself in an angular ordering of the gluons radiated within a jet. Using hadronic decays of the Z boson in the L3 detector at LEP, we compare variables sensitive to such an angular ordering, namely the energy-energy correlation asymmetry and the newly introduced particle-particle correlation asymmetry, with the predictions of various parton shower models. Only those models which incorporate the expected interference agree with the data.

Measurement of exclusive branching fractions of hadronic one-prong tau decays

Abstract We have measured the branching fractions for the hadronic τ decays, τ → π K nπ° ν (0≤ n ≤3), with the L3 detector at LEP. Multiphoton final states are analyzed using the fine-grained, high-resolution electromagnetic calorimeter. The decay channels are identified using a neural network method. The results are: BR (τ → π K ν ) = (11.82 ± 0.26 ± 0.43) %, BR (τ → π K π° ν) = (25.05 ± 0.35 ± 0.50) %, BR (τ → π K 2π° ν) = (8.88 ± 0.37 ± 0.42) %, BR (τ → π K 3πδ ν) = (1.70 ± 0.24 ± 0.38) %, where the first error quoted is statistical, the second systematic.

Measurement of inclusive b --> .tau..nu.X branching ratio

Using the L3 detector, the branching ratio BR(b → πνX) has been measured using a sample of Z → bb events tagged by high momentum and high transverse momentum leptons in one hemisphere and with missing energy in the opposite hemisphere. From a sample of 948 000 hadronic events we find BR(b → πνX) = (2.4 ± 0.7 (stat.) ± 0.8 (syst.))%.