Particle theory

Abstract:

We investigate the effects of perturbative branching upon the accuracy with which one can determine the charge of the underlying QCD quantum from the charge structure of a given hadronic jet. We show explicitly how at asymptotic Q² we lose all such charge information. We investigate these effects at current PETRA energies using the Monte Carlo program of Fox and Wolfram; and find that a reasonably accurate charge determination is still possible at these energies. We suggest the variation of the jet charge structure with multiplicity, at a given energy, as a sensitive probe of the onset of perturbative branching inside jets. © 1981 Springer-Verlag.