LHCb

Abstract:

The strong coupling constant for b quarks has been determined, and its flavour independence, as predicted by QCD, investigated. The analysis involved events with lepton candidates selected from approximately 356 000 hadronic decays of the Z0, collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP in 1990 and 1991. A method based on a direct comparison of the three-jet fraction in a b enriched sample, selected by requiring leptons with large momenta, to that of the entire hadronic sample, illustrated the significant effect of the b quark mass on the multi-jet cross section, and verified the flavour independence of the strong coupling constant to an accuracy of ±6%. A second procedure based on a fit to the momentum and transverse momentum spectra of the lepton candidates in both two-jet and three (or more)-jet event samples simultaneously determined the b content in each, and, using second order QCD calculations, gave an absolute measurement of αs for b quarks of 0.118±0.004 (stat.)±0.003 (syst.)±0.008 (scale). A comparison with αs for all quark flavours, as measured from the three-jet fraction in all hadronic events, further allowed the coupling strength for b quarks to be expressed in terms relative to that for udsc quarks, thereby cancelling certain common systematic uncertainties, and yielded αsb αsudsc = 1.00 ± 0.04 (stat.) ± 0.03 (syst.). © 1993.

Abstract:

A study of B meson decays into DlX final states is presented. In these events, neutral and charged D mesons originate predominantly from B+ and B0 decays, respectively. The dilution of this correlation due to D** production has been taken into account. From 263 700 hadronic Z0 decays collected in 1991 with the DELPHI detector at the LEP collider, 92 D0→K-π+, 35 D+→K-π+π+ and 61 D*0→D0π+ followed by D0→K-π+ or D0→K-π+π+π -, are found with an associated lepton of the same charge as the kaon. From the D0l- and D*+l-, the probability fd that a b quark hadronizes into a B- (or {Mathematical expression}) meson is found to be 0.44 ±0.08±0.09, corresponding to a total (Bs+Λb) hadronization fraction of 0.12-0.12+0.24. By reconstructing the energy of each B meson, the b quark fragmentation is directly measured for the first time. The mean value of the B meson energy fraction is: {Mathematical expression} Reconstructing D-lepton vertices, the following B lifetimes are measured: {Mathematical expression} and an average τ(B)=1.23-0.13+0.14(stat.)±0.15(syst.) ps is found. Allowing for decays into {Mathematical expression}, the B+ and B0 lifetimes are: {Mathematical expression} © 1993 Springer-Verlag.

Abstract:

This paper presents energy distributions of the hadronic system produced in neutral-current electron-proton deep-inelastic scattering at a centre of mass energy of 296 GeV. Comparison of the results with QCD Monte Carlo models shows that QCD radiation has a strong influence on the characteristics of the final state. The data are reasonably reproduced by the Lund model based on a matrix element calculation in first order of αs, followed by appropriate parton showers, as well as by the colour dipole model. The HERWIG parton shower model also gives a reasonable representation of the data. Neither the first order matrix elements alone nor the Lund parton shower model, without the matrix element calculation, reproduce the data. © 1993 Springer-Verlag.

Abstract:

A sample of events with two distinct jets, in addition to the proton remnant, has been identified in deep inelastic, neutral current ep interactions recorded at HERA by the ZEUS experiment. For these events, the mass of the hadronic system ranges from 40 to 260 GeV. The salient features of the observed jet production agree with the predictions of higher order QCD. © 1993.

Abstract:

A search for any resonant state coupled to an electron and a proton constituent has been performed using collisions of electron and proton beams at HERA. In a sample with integrated luminosity of 26 nb-1, no evidence has been found for production of leptoquarks with decays to e- + jet or ν + je to electron and quark have been determined for masses above 25 GeV. For example, scalar isosinglet leptoquarks (S0) with electroweak coupling strength to (e-u) states are ruled out at the 95% confidence level for masses below 168 GeV for left-handed couplings and below 176 GeV for right-handed couplings. © 1993.