F. Cossutti

The production of single- and multi-photon events has been studied in the reaction e+e- -> gamma (gamma) + invisible particles. The data collected with the DELPHI detector during the years 1999 and 2000 at centre-of-mass energies between 191 GeV and 209 GeV was combined with earlier data to search for phenomena beyond the Standard Model. The measured number of light neutrino families was consistent with three and the absence of an excess of events beyond that predicted by the Standard Model processes was used to set limits on new physics. Both model-independent searches and searches for new processes predicted by supersymmetric and extra-dimensional models have been made. Limits on new non-standard model interactions between neutrinos and electrons were also determined.

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Searches for the Standard Model Higgs boson have been performed in the data collected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP in the year 2000 at centre-of-mass energies between 200 and 209 GeV corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 224 pb−1. No evidence for a Higgs signal is observed in the kinematically accessible mass range, and a 95% CL lower mass limit of 114.3 GeV/c2 is set, to be compared with an expected median limit of 113.5 GeV/c2 for these data.

A search for pair-produced doubly charged Higgs bosons has been performed using the data collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV. No excess is observed in the data with respect to the Standard Model background. A lower limit for the mass of 97.3 GeV/c2 at the 95% confidence level has been set for doubly charged Higgs bosons in left–right symmetric models for any value of the Yukawa coupling between the Higgs bosons and the τ leptons.

The DELPHI detector at LEP has been used to measure multi-muon bundles originating from cosmic ray interactions with air. The cosmic events were recorded in “parasitic mode” between individual e+e− interactions and the total live time of this data taking is equivalent to 1.6 × 106 s. The DELPHI apparatus is located about 100 m underground and the 84 metres rock overburden imposes a cutoff of about 52 GeV/c on muon momenta. The data from the large volume Hadron Calorimeter allowed the muon multiplicity of 54,201 events to be reconstructed. The resulting muon multiplicity distribution is compared with the prediction of the Monte Carlo simulation based on CORSIKA/QGSJET01. The model fails to describe the abundance of high multiplicity events. The impact of QGSJET internal parameters on the results is also studied.

Single photons detected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP2 in the years 1997–2000 are reanalysed to investigate the existence of a single extra dimension in a modified ADD scenario with slightly warped large extra dimensions. The data collected at centre-of-mass energies between 180 and 209 GeV for an integrated luminosity of ∼650 pb−1 agree with the predictions of the Standard Model and allow a limit to be set on graviton emission in one large extra dimension. The limit obtained on the fundamental mass scale M D is 1.69 TeV/c 2 at 95% CL, with an expected limit of 1.71 TeV/c 2.

A measurement of the W boson mass and width has been performed by the DELPHI collaboration using the data collected during the full LEP2 programme (1996–2000). The data sample has an integrated luminosity of 660 pb-1 and was collected over a range of centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 209 GeV. Results are obtained by applying the method of direct reconstruction of the mass of the W from its decay products in both the W+W-→ℓν̄ℓqq̄’ and W+W-→qq̄’q̄q’ channels. The W mass result for the combined data set is $M_W = 80.336 \pm0.055 ({\text{Stat.}}) \pm0.028 ({\text{Syst.}}) \pm0.025 ({\text{FSI}}) \pm0.009 ({\text{LEP}}) \text{GeV}/c^2, $ where FSI represents the uncertainty due to final state interaction effects in the qq̄’q̄q’ channel, and LEP represents that arising from the knowledge of the collision energy of the accelerator. The combined value for the W width is ${\Gamma_{W}} = 2.404 \pm0.140 ({\text{Stat.}}) \pm0.077 ({\text{Syst.}}) \pm0.065 ({\text{FSI}}) \text{GeV}/c^2. $ These results supersede all values previously published by the DELPHI collaboration.

The nature of b-quark jet hadronisation has been investigated using data taken at the Z peak by the DELPHI detector at LEP. Two complementary methods are used to reconstruct the energy of weakly decaying b-hadrons, $E_{\mathrm{B}}^{\mathrm{weak}}$ . The average value of $x^{\mathrm{weak}}_{\mathrm{B}} = E_{\mathrm{B}}^{\mathrm{weak}}/E_{\mathrm{beam}}$ is measured to be 0.699±0.011. The resulting $x^{\mathrm{weak}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ distribution is then analysed in the framework of two choices for the perturbative contribution (parton shower and Next to Leading Log QCD calculation) in order to extract measurements of the non-perturbative contribution to be used in studies of b-hadron production in other experimental environments than LEP. In the parton shower framework, data favour the Lund model ansatz and corresponding values of its parameters have been determined within PYTHIA 6.156 from DELPHI data: $$a= 1.84^{+0.23}_{-0.21}\quad\mbox{and}\quad b=0.642^{+0.073}_{-0.063}~\mathrm{GeV}^{-2},$$ with a correlation factor ρ=92.2%. Combining the data on the b-quark fragmentation distributions with those obtained at the Z peak by ALEPH, OPAL and SLD, the average value of $x^{\mathrm{weak}}_{\mathrm{B}}$ is found to be 0.7092±0.0025 and the non-perturbative fragmentation component is extracted. Using the combined distribution, a better determination of the Lund parameters is also obtained: $$a= 1.48^{+0.11}_{-0.10}\quad\mbox{and}\quad b=0.509^{+0.024}_{-0.023}~\mathrm{GeV}^{-2},$$ with a correlation factor ρ=92.6%.

An analysis of the data collected in 1997 and 1998 with the DELPHI detector at e+e− collision energies close to 183 and 189 GeV was performed in order to extract the hadronic and leptonic fermion-pair cross-sections, as well as the leptonic forward–backward asymmetries and angular distributions. The data are used to put limit on contact interactions between fermions, the exchange of R-parity violating SUSY sneutrinos, Z′ bosons and the existence of gravity in extra dimensions.

The amplitude of the signal collected from the PbWO4 crystals of the CMS electromagnetic calorimeter is reconstructed by a digital filtering technique. The amplitude reconstruction has been studied with test beam data recorded from a fully equipped barrel supermodule. Issues specific to data taken in the test beam are investigated, and the implementation of the method for CMS data taking is discussed.

Soft photons inside hadronic jets converted in front of the DELPHI main tracker (TPC) in events of qq̄ disintegrations of the Z0 were studied in the kinematic range 0.2<Eγ<1 GeV and transverse momentum with respect to the closest jet direction pT<80 MeV/c. A clear excess of photons in the experimental data as compared to the Monte Carlo predictions is observed. This excess (uncorrected for the photon detection efficiency) is (1.17±0.06±0.27)×10-3 γ/jet in the specified kinematic region, while the expected level of the inner hadronic bremsstrahlung (which is not included in the Monte Carlo) is (0.340±0.001±0.038)×10-3 γ/jet. The ratio of the excess to the predicted bremsstrahlung rate is then (3.4±0.2±0.8), which is similar in strength to the anomalous soft photon signal observed in fixed target experiments with hadronic beams.

A determination of the single W spin density matrix (SDM) elements in the reaction e+e-→W+W-→lνqq̄(l=e/μ) is reported at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 520 pb-1 taken by DELPHI between 1998 and 2000. The single W SDM elements, ρττ' W± (τ,τ'=± 1 or 0), are determined as a function of the W- production angle with respect to the e- beam direction and are obtained from measurements of the W decay products by the application of suitable projection operators, Λττ', which assume the V-A coupling of the W-boson to fermions. The measured SDM elements are used to obtain the fraction of longitudinally polarised Ws, with the result: $\frac{\sigma_{\text{L}}}{\sigma_{{\text{tot}}}} = 24.9 \pm4.5({\text{stat}}) \pm2.2({\text{syst}})\%$ at a mean energy of 198 GeV. The SDM elements are also used to determine the triple gauge couplings Δg1 Z,Δκγ,λγ and g4 Z, $\tilde{\kappa}_{Z}$ and $\tilde{\lambda}_{Z}$ . For the CP-violating couplings the results of single parameter fits are: $g_4^{{Z}} = -0.39^{+0.19}_{-0.20}$ $\tilde{\kappa}_{{Z}} = -0.09^{+0.08}_{-0.05}$ $\tilde{\lambda}_{{Z}} = -0.08\pm0.07 .$ The errors are a combination of statistical and systematic errors. All results are consistent with the Standard Model.

An analysis of the direct soft photon production rate as a function of the parent jet characteristics is presented, based on hadronic events collected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP1. The dependences of the photon rates on the jet kinematic characteristics (momentum, mass, etc.) and on the jet charged, neutral and total hadron multiplicities are reported. Up to a scale factor of about four, which characterizes the overall value of the soft photon excess, a similarity of the observed soft photon behaviour to that of the inner hadronic bremsstrahlung predictions is found for the momentum, mass, and jet charged multiplicity dependences. However for the dependence of the soft photon rate on the jet neutral and total hadron multiplicities a prominent difference is found for the observed soft photon signal as compared to the expected bremsstrahlung from final state hadrons. The observed linear increase of the soft photon production rate with the jet total hadron multiplicity and its strong dependence on the jet neutral multiplicity suggest that the rate is proportional to the number of quark pairs produced in the fragmentation process, with the neutral pairs being more effectively radiating than the charged ones.

A search for single top production (e+e−→tc̄) via flavour changing neutral currents (FCNC) was performed using the data taken by the DELPHI detector at LEP2. The data analyzed have been accumulated at center-of-mass energies ranging from 189 to 208 GeV. Limits at 95% confidence level were obtained on the anomalous coupling parameters κγ and κZ.

This paper presents DELPHI measurements and interpretations of cross-sections, forward-backward asymmetries, and angular distributions, for the e+e- -&gt; ffbar process for centre-of-mass energies above the Z resonance, from sqrt(s) ~ 130 - 207 GeV at the LEP collider. The measurements are consistent with the predictions of the Standard Model and are used to study a variety of models including the S-Matrix ansatz for e+e- -&gt; ffbar scattering and several models which include physics beyond the Standard Model: the exchange of Z' bosons, contact interactions between fermions, the exchange of gravitons in large extra dimensions and the exchange of sneutrino in R-parity violating supersymmetry.

Inclusive J/psi production in photon-photon collisions has been observed at LEP II beam energies. A clear signal from the reaction gamma gamma -&gt; J/psi+X is seen. The number of observed N(J/psi -&gt; mu+mu-) events is 36 +/- 7 for an integrated luminosity of 617 pb^{-1}, yielding a cross-section of sigma(J/psi+X) = 45 +/- 9 (stat) +/- 17 (syst) pb. Based on a study of the event shapes of different types of gamma gamma processes in the PYTHIA program, we conclude that (74 +/- 22)% of the observed J/psi events are due to `resolved' photons, the dominant contribution of which is most probably due to the gluon content of the photon.

Calibration of the relative response of the individual channels of the barrel electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS detector was accomplished, before installation, with cosmic ray muons and test beams. One fourth of the calorimeter was exposed to a beam of high energy electrons and the relative calibration of the channels, the intercalibration, was found to be reproducible to a precision of about 0.3%. Additionally, data were collected with cosmic rays for the entire ECAL barrel during the commissioning phase. By comparing the intercalibration constants obtained with the electron beam data with those from the cosmic ray data, it is demonstrated that the latter provide an intercalibration precision of 1.5% over most of the barrel ECAL. The best intercalibration precision is expected to come from the analysis of events collected in situ during the LHC operation. Using data collected with both electrons and pion beams, several aspects of the intercalibration procedures based on electrons or neutral pions were investigated.

The 2011 Les Houches workshop was the first to confront LHC data. In the two years since the previous workshop there have been significant advances in both soft and hard QCD, particularly in the areas of multi-leg NLO calculations, the inclusion of those NLO calculations into parton shower Monte Carlos, and the tuning of the non-perturbative parameters of those Monte Carlos. These proceedings describe the theoretical advances that have taken place, the impact of the early LHC data, and the areas for future development.

A new precise measurement of |Vcb| and of the branching ratio BR(B̄0→D∗+ℓ−ν̄ℓ) has been performed using a sample of about 5000 semileptonic decays B̄0→D∗+ℓ−ν̄ℓ, selected by the DELPHI detector at LEP I by tagging the soft pion from D∗+→D0π+. The results are: Vcb=(39.0±1.5(stat.)+2.5−2.6(syst. exp.)±1.3(syst. th.))×10−3, BR(B̄0→D∗+ℓ−ν̄ℓ)=(4.70±0.13(stat.)+0.36−0.31(syst. exp.))%. The analytic dependencies of the differential cross-section and of the Isgur–Wise form factor as functions of the variable w=vB0·vD∗ have also been obtained by unfolding the experimental resolution.

We present and discuss the generator setup for e+e−→4f processes chosen by the DELPHI collaboration. The need to combine the most recent theoretical achievements in the CC03 sector with the state of the art description of the remaining part of the 4-fermion processes has led to an original combination of different codes, with the WPHACT 2.0 4-fermion generator and the YFSWW code for the CC03 O(α) corrections as a starting point. The coverage of the 4-fermion phase space is discussed in detail, with particular attention to ensuring the compatibility of WPHACT with dedicated γγ generators.

The form factor of Λb0 baryons is estimated using 3.46×106 hadronic Z decays collected by the DELPHI experiment between 1992 and 1995. Charmed Λc+ baryons fully reconstructed in the pK−π+, pK0S, and Λπ+π+π− modes, are associated to a lepton with opposite charge in order to select Λb0→Λc+l−ν̄l decays. From a combined likelihood and event rate fit to the distribution of the Isgur–Wise variable w, and using the Heavy Quark Effective Theory (HQET), the slope of the b-baryon form factor is measured to be ρ̂2=2.03±0.46(stat)+0.72−1.00(syst). The exclusive semileptonic branching fraction Br(Λb0→Λc+l−ν̄l) can be derived from ρ̂2 and is found to be (5.0+1.1−0.8(stat)+1.6−1.2(syst))%. Limits on other branching fractions are also obtained.

These final results on e+e- -&gt; W+W- production cross-section measurements at LEP2 use data collected by the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies up to 209 GeV. Measurements of total cross-sections, W angular differential distributions and decay branching fractions, and the value of the CKM element |V_{cs}| are compared to the expectations of the Standard Model. These results supersede all values previously published by DELPHI.

Neutral triple-gauge-boson couplings ZZZ, ZZγ and Zγγ have been studied with the DELPHI detector using data at energies between 183 and 208 GeV. Limits are derived on these couplings from an analysis of the reactions e+e-→Zγ, using data from the final states γff̄, with f=q or ν, from e+e-→ZZ, using data from the four-fermion final states qq̄qq̄, qq̄μ+μ-, qq̄e+e-, qq̄νν̄, μ+μ-νν̄ and e+e-νν̄, and from e+e-→Zγ*, in which the final state γ is off mass-shell, using data from the four-fermion final states qq̄e+e- and qq̄μ+μ-. No evidence for the presence of such couplings is observed, in agreement with the predictions of the Standard Model.

The data taken by DELPHI at centre-of-mass energies between 189 and 209 GeV are used to place limits on the CP-conserving trilinear gauge boson couplings Delta_g1z, lambda_gamma and Delta_kappag associated to W+W- and single W production at LEP2. Using data from the jjlv, jjjj, jjX and lX final states, where j, l and X represent a jet, a lepton and missing four-momentum, respectively, the following limits are set on the couplings when one parameter is allowed to vary and the others are set to their Standard Model values of zero: Delta_g1z = -0.025^{+0.033}_{-0.030}, lambda_gamma = 0.002^{+0.035}_{-0.035} and Delta_kappag = 0.024^{+0.077}_{-0.081} . Results are also presented when two or three parameters are allowed to vary. All observations are consistent with the predictions of the Standard Model and supersede the previous results on these gauge coupling parameters published by DELPHI.

A search for events with one jet and at most one isolated lepton used data taken at LEP-2 by the DELPHI detector. These data were accumulated at a center-of-mass energy of 183 GeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 47.7 pb−1. Production of single scalar and vector leptoquarks was searched for. Limits at 95% confidence level were derived on the masses (ranging from 134GeV/c2 to 171GeV/c2 for electromagnetic type couplings) and couplings of the leptoquark states. A search for top-charm flavour changing neutral currents (e+e−→t̄c or charge conjugate) used the semileptonic decay channel. A limit on the flavour changing cross-section via neutral currents was set at 0.55pb (95% confidence level).

The total and the differential cross sections for the reaction e+e− → γγ(γ) have been measured with the DELPHI detector at LEP using an integrated luminosity of 36.9 pb−1. The results agree with the QED predictions and consequently there is no evidence for non-standard channels with the same experimental signature. The lower limits obtained on the QED cutoff parameters are Λ+ > 143 GeV and Λ− > 120 GeV, and the lower bound on the mass of an excited electron with an effective coupling constant λγ = 1 is 132 GeV/c2. Upper limits on the branching ratios for the decays Z0 → γγ, Z0 → π0γ, Z0 → ηγ and Z0 → γγγ have been determined to be 5.5 × 10−5, 5.5 × 10−5, 8.0 × 10−5, and 1.7 × 10−5 respectively. All the limits are at the 95% confidence level.

Ensuring the radiation hardness of PbWO4 crystals was one of the main priorities during the construction of the electromagnetic calorimeter of the CMS experiment at CERN. The production on an industrial scale of radiation hard crystals and their certification over a period of several years represented a difficult challenge both for CMS and for the crystal suppliers. The present article reviews the related scientific and technological problems encountered.

Higgs bosons predicted by the fermiophobic scenario within Two Higgs Doublets Models were searched for in the data collected by the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies between 189 GeV and 202 GeV, corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 380 pb−1. No signal was found and confidence limits were derived in the framework of possible extensions of the Standard Model Higgs sector.

In the reaction e+e-→WW→(q1q̄2)(q3q̄4) the usual hadronization models treat the colour singlets q1q̄2 and q3q̄4 coming from two W bosons independently. However, since the final state partons may coexist in space and time, cross-talk between the two evolving hadronic systems may be possible during fragmentation through soft gluon exchange. This effect is known as colour reconnection. In this article the results of the investigation of colour reconnection effects in fully hadronic decays of W pairs in DELPHI at LEP are presented. Two complementary analyses were performed, studying the particle flow between jets and W mass estimators, with negligible correlation between them, and the results were combined and compared to models. In the framework of the SK-I model, the value for its κ parameter most compatible with the data was found to be: κSK-I=2.2+2.5 -1.3 corresponding to the probability of reconnection $\mathcal{P}_{\text{reco}}$ to be in the range $0.31 <\mathcal{P}_{{\text{reco}}} < 0.68$ at 68% confidence level with its best value at 0.52.

Muon bremsstrahlung photons converted in front of the DELPHI main tracker (TPC) in dimuon events at LEP1 were studied in two photon kinematic ranges: 0.2<E γ ≤1 GeV and transverse momentum with respect to the parent muon p T <40 MeV/c, and 1<E γ ≤10 GeV and p T <80 MeV/c. A good agreement of the observed photon rate with predictions from QED for the muon inner bremsstrahlung was found, contrary to the anomalous soft photon excess that has been observed recently in hadronic Z 0 decays. The obtained ratios of the observed signal to the predicted level of the muon bremsstrahlung are 1.06±0.12±0.07 in the photon energy range 0.2<E γ ≤1 GeV and 1.04±0.09±0.12 in the photon energy range 1<E γ ≤10 GeV. The bremsstrahlung dead cone is observed for the first time in the direct photon production at LEP.

The effect of the heavy b-quark mass on the two, three and four-jet rates is studied using LEP data collected by the DELPHI experiment at the Z peak in 1994 and 1995. The rates of b-quark jets and light quark jets (ℓ=uds) in events with n=2, 3, and 4 jets, together with the ratio of two and four-jet rates of b-quarks with respect to light-quarks, Rn bℓ, have been measured with a double-tag technique using the CAMBRIDGE jet-clustering algorithm. A comparison between experimental results and theory (matrix element or Monte Carlo event generators such as PYTHIA, HERWIG and ARIADNE) is done after the hadronisation phase. Using the four-jet observable R4 bℓ, a measurement of the b-quark mass using massive leading-order calculations gives: $m_b(M_Z) = 3.76 \pm0.32 ({\text{stat}}) \pm0.17 ({\text{syst}}) \pm0.22 ({\text{had}}) \pm0.90 ({\text{theo}})\,\text{GeV}/c^2\,.$ This result is compatible with previous three-jet determinations at the MZ energy scale and with low energy mass measurements evolved to the MZ scale using QCD renormalisation group equations.

Searches for pair production of supersymmetric particles under the assumption that R-parity is not conserved are presented, based on data recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1998 from e+e- collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. Only one R-parity violating LL\bar{E} term (i.e. one lambda coupling), which couples scalar leptons to leptons, is considered to be dominant at a time. Moreover, it is assumed that the strength of the R-parity violating couplings is such that the lifetimes can be neglected. The search for pair production of neutralinos, charginos and sleptons has been performed for both direct R-parity violating decays and indirect cascade decays. The results are in agreement with Standard Model expectations, and are used to update the constraints on the MSSM parameter values and the mass limits previously derived at sqrt(s) = 183 GeV. The present 95% C.L. limits on supersymmetric particle masses are: m_{\tilde{\chi}^0} > 30 GeV/c^2 and m_{\tilde{\chi}^\pm} > 94 GeV/c^2; m_{\tilde{\nu}} > 76.5 GeV/c^2 (direct and indirect decays); m_{\tilde{\ell}_R} > 83 GeV/c^2 (indirect decay only).

The production fractions of charged and neutral b-hadrons in b-quark events from Z0 decays have been measured with the DELPHI detector at LEP. An algorithm has been developed, based on a neural network, to estimate the charge of the weakly-decaying b-hadron by distinguishing its decay products from particles produced at the primary vertex. From the data taken in the years 1994 and 1995, the fraction of b̄-quarks fragmenting into positively charged weakly-decaying b-hadrons has been measured to be: f+=42.09±0.82(stat)±0.89(syst)%. Subtracting the rates for charged Ξ̄b+ and Ω̄b+ baryons gives the production fraction of B+ mesons: fBu=40.99±0.82(stat)±1.11(syst)%.

Measurements are presented of R b, the ratio of the ${\mathrm{b}}\bar{\mathrm{b}}$ cross-section to the ${\mathrm{q}}\bar{\mathrm{q}}$ cross-section in e+e− collisions, and the forward-backward asymmetry A FB b at twelve energy points in the range $\sqrt{s}=130$ –207 GeV. These results are found to be consistent with the Standard Model expectations. The measurements are used to set limits on new physics scenarios involving contact interactions.

The tau lepton lifetime has been measured with the e(+) e(-) --> tau(+) tau(-) events collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP in the years 1991 - 1995. Three different methods have been exploited, using both one-prong and three-prong tau decay channels. Two measurements have been made using events in which both taus decay to a single charged particle. Combining these measurements gave tau(tau) ( 1 prong) = 291.8 +/- 2.3(stat) +/- 1.5(sys) fs. A third measurement using taus which decayed to three charged particles yielded tau(tau) (3 prong) = 288.6 +/- 2.4(stat) +/- 1.3(sys) fs. These were combined with previous DELPHI results to measure the tau lifetime, using the full LEP1 data sample, to be tau(tau) = 290.9 +/- 1.4(stat) +/- 1.0(sys) fs.

A test of the QED process e+e−→γγ(γ) is reported. The data analysed were collected with the DELPHI detector in 1998 and 1999 at the highest energies achieved at LEP, reaching 202 GeV in the centre-of-mass. The total integrated luminosity amounts to 375.7 pb−1. The differential and total cross-sections for the process e+e−→γγ were measured, and found to be in agreement with the QED prediction. 95% confidence level (C.L.) lower limits on the QED cut-off parameters of Λ+>330 GeV and Λ−>320 GeV were derived. A 95% C.L. lower bound on the mass of an excited electron of 311 GeV/c2 (for λγ=1) was obtained. s-channel virtual graviton exchange was searched for, resulting in 95% C.L. lower limits on the string mass scale, MS: MS>713 GeV/c2 (λ=1) and MS>691 GeV/c2 (λ=−1).

A measurement of the W mass and width has been performed by the DELPHI collaboration using the data collected during 1998. The data sample has an integrated luminosity of 155 pb^{-1} and an average centre-of-mass energy of 188.6 GeV. Results are obtained by applying the method of direct reconstruction of the mass of the W from its decay products in both the W+W- -> lvqq and W+W- -> qqqq channels. The W mass result for the 1998 data set is M_W = 80.387 +/- 0.087 (stat) +/- 0.034 (syst) +/- 0.017 (LEP) +/- 0.035 (FSI) GeV/c2, where FSI represents the uncertainty due to final state interaction effects in the qqqq channel, and LEP represents that arising from the knowledge of the beam energy of the accelerator. Combining this result with those previously published by the DELPHI collaboration gives the result M_W = 80.359 +/- 0.074 (stat) +/- 0.032 (syst) +/- 0.017 (LEP) +/- 0.033 (FSI) GeV/c2. The combined value for the W width is \Gamma_W = 2.266 +/- 0.176 (stat) +/- 0.056 (syst) +/- 0.052 (FSI) GeV/c2.

Technicolor represents a viable alternative to the Higgs mechanism for generating gauge boson masses. Searches for technicolor particles $\rho_T$ and $\pi_T$ have been performed in the data collected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP at centre-of-mass energies between 192 and 208 GeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 452 pb $^{-1}$ . Good agreement is observed with the SM expectation in all channels studied. This is translated into an excluded region in the $(M_{\pi_T},M_{\rho_T})$ plane. The $\rho_T$ production is excluded for all $90 < M_{\rho_T}<206.7$ GeV/c $^2$ . Assuming a point-like interaction of the $\pi_T$ with gauge bosons, an absolute lower limit on the charged $\pi_T$ mass at 95% CL is set at 79.8 GeV/c $^2$ , independently of other parameters of the technicolor model.

The branching ratio for the leptonic decay of charged B mesons (B−→τ−ν̄τ) has been measured using selected leptonic τ−→ℓ−ντν̄ℓ and hadronic τ−→ντX decays in Z→bb̄ decays recorded by DELPHI at LEP1 in 1992–1995. The result, BR(B−→τ−ν̄τ)<1.1×10−3 at the 90% confidence level, is consistent with standard model expectations and puts a constraint on the ratio tanβ/MH±<0.46 (GeV/c2)−1 in the framework of models with two Higgs doublets (type II Higgs doublet model). From the missing energy distribution in Z→bb̄ decays without identified leptons, the b→τν̄τX branching ratio has been measured in the hadronic channel τ→ντX′. The result, BR(b→τν̄τX)=(2.19±0.24(stat)±0.39(syst))%, is consistent with the Standard Model prediction and with previous experimental measurements.

The pseudoscalar meson ηb has been searched for in two-photon interactions at LEP II. The data sample corresponds to a total integrated luminosity of 617 pb−1 at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 161 to 209 GeV. Upper limits at a confidence level of 95% on the product Γγγ(ηb)×BR(ηb) are 190, 470 and 660 eV/c2 for the ηb decaying into 4, 6 and 8 charged particles, respectively.

Bose-Einstein correlations (BEC) between final state particles in the reaction e+e- -&gt; W+W- -&gt; q_1 anti-q_2 q_3 anti-q_4 have been studied. Data corresponding to a total integrated luminosity of 550 pb^{-1}, recorded by the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 189 to 209 GeV, were analysed. An indication for inter-W BEC between like-sign particles has been found at the level of 2.4 standard deviations of the combined statistical and systematic uncertainties.

The total and the differential cross-sections for the reaction e+e−→γγ(γ) have been measured with the DELPHI detector at LEP at centre-of-mass energies from 130 to 183 GeV for an integrated luminosity of 78.19 pb−1. The results agree with the QED predictions. The lower limits (obtained including previously published results at the Z0 energies) on the QED cutoff parameters are Λ+>253 GeV and Λ−>225 GeV and the lower bound on the mass of an excited electron with an effective coupling constant λγ=1 is 231 GeV/c2. All the limits are at the 95% confidence level.

An update of the searches for charginos and neutralinos is presented, based on a data sample corresponding to the 53.9 pb−1 recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1997, at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. No evidence for a signal was found. The lower mass limits are 4–5 GeV/c2 higher than those obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 172 GeV. The (μ,M2) domain excluded by combining the neutralino and chargino searches implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy sneutrino, is constrained to be above 29.1 GeV/c2 for tanβ≥ 1.

A search for pair-produced charged Higgs bosons was performed in the high energy data collected by the DELPHI detector at LEP II at centre-of-mass energies from 189 GeV to 202 GeV. The three different final states, \tau \nu \tau \nu, c \bar s \bar c s and c \bar s \tau \nu were considered. New methods were applied to reject wrong hadronic jet pairings and for the tau identification, where a discriminator based on tau polarisation and polar angles was used. No excess of data compared to the expected Standard Model processes was observed and the existence of a charged Higgs boson with mass lower than 71.5 GeV/c^2 is excluded at the 95% confidence level.

Searches for charginos, neutralinos and sleptons at LEP2 centre-of-mass energies from 130 GeV to 189 GeV have been used to set lower limits on the mass of the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle and other supersymmetric particles within the MSSM framework. R-parity conservation has been assumed. The lightest neutralino was found to be heavier than 32.3 GeV/c^2 independent of the m_0 value. The lightest chargino, the second-to-lightest neutralino, the next-to-heaviest neutralino, the heaviest neutralino, the sneutrino and the right-handed selectron were found to be heavier than 62.4 GeV/c^2, 62.4 GeV/c^2, 99.9 GeV/c^2, 116.0 GeV/c^2, 61.0 GeV/c^2, and 87.0 GeV/c^2, respectively. These limits do not depend on m_0 or M_2 and are valid for 1 \leq tan(beta) \leq 40, in the mu region where the lightest neutralino is the LSP. If the sneutrino is heavier than the chargino the lightest neutralino has to be heavier than 32.4 GeV/c^2. The effects of mixings in the third family of sfermions on these limits are discussed. The confidence level of all limits given is 95%.

Production of Σ− and Λ(1520) in hadronic Z decays has been measured using the Delphi detector at Lep. The Σ− is directly reconstructed as a charged track in the Delphi microvertex detector and is identified by its Σ→nπ decay leading to a kink between the Σ− and π-track. The reconstruction of the Λ(1520) resonance relies strongly on the particle identification capabilities of the barrel Ring Imaging Cherenkov detector and on the ionisation loss measurement of the TPC. Inclusive production spectra are measured for both particles. The production rates are measured to be〈NΣ−/NZhad〉=0.081±0.002±0.010,〈NΛ(1520)/NZhad〉=0.029±0.005±0.005.The production rate of the Λ(1520) suggests that a large fraction of the stable baryons descend from orbitally excited baryonic states. It is shown that the baryon production rates in Z decays follow a universal phenomenological law related to isospin, strangeness and mass of the particles.

Searches for spontaneous R-parity-violating signals at s=183 GeV and s=189 GeV have been performed using the 1997 and 1998 DELPHI data, under the assumption of R-parity breaking in the third lepton family. The expected topology for the decay of a pair of charginos into two acoplanar taus plus missing energy was investigated and no evidence for a signal was found. The results were used to derive a limit on the chargino mass and to constrain the allowed domains of the MSSM parameter space.

The MIP Timing Detector will provide additional timing capabilities for detection of minimum ionizing particles (MIPs) at CMS during the High Luminosity LHC era, improving event reconstruction and pileup rejection. The central portion of the detector, the Barrel Timing Layer (BTL), will be instrumented with LYSO:Ce crystals and Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPMs) providing a time resolution of about 30 ps at the beginning of operation, and degrading to 50-60 ps at the end of the detector lifetime as a result of radiation damage. In this work, we present the results obtained using a 120 GeV proton beam at the Fermilab Test Beam Facility to measure the time resolution of unirradiated sensors. A proof-of-concept of the sensor layout proposed for the barrel region of the MTD, consisting of elongated crystal bars with dimensions of about 3 x 3 x 57 mm$^3$ and with double-ended SiPM readout, is demonstrated. This design provides a robust time measurement independent of the impact point of the MIP along the crystal bar. We tested LYSO:Ce bars of different thickness (2, 3, 4 mm) with a geometry close to the reference design and coupled to SiPMs manufactured by Hamamatsu and Fondazione Bruno Kessler. The various aspects influencing the timing performance such as the crystal thickness, properties of the SiPMs (e.g. photon detection efficiency), and impact angle of the MIP are studied. A time resolution of about 28 ps is measured for MIPs crossing a 3 mm thick crystal bar, corresponding to an MPV energy deposition of 2.6 MeV, and of 22 ps for the 4.2 MeV MPV energy deposition expected in the BTL, matching the detector performance target for unirradiated devices.

The cross sections for the production of single charged and neutral intermediate vector bosons were measured using integrated luminosities of 52 pb–1 and 154 pb–1 collected by the experiment at centre-of-mass energies of 182.6 GeV and 188.6 GeV, respectively. The cross sections for the reactions were determined in limited kinematic regions. The results found are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions for these channels.

The CMS Collaboration has developed a detailed simulation of the electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL), which has been fully integrated in the collaboration software framework CMSSW. The simulation is based on the Geant4 detector simulation toolkit for the modelling of the passage of particles through matter and magnetic field. The geometrical description of the detector is being re-implemented using the DetectorDescription language, combining an XML based description with the algorithmic definition of the position of the elements. The ECAL simulation software is fully operational and has been validated using real data from the ECAL test beam experiment that took place in summer 2006.

Single top quark production via four-fermion contact interactions associated to flavour-changing neutral currents was searched for in data taken by the DELPHI detector at LEP2. The data were accumulated at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 189 to 209 GeV, with an integrated luminosity of 598.1 pb−1. No evidence for a signal was found. Limits on the energy scale Λ, were set for scalar-, vector- and tensor-like coupling scenarios.

An update of the searches for charginos and gravitinos is presented, based on a data sample corresponding to the 158 pb^{-1} recorded by the DELPHI detector in 1998, at a centre-of-mass energy of 189 GeV. No evidence for a signal was found. The lower mass limits are 4-5 GeV/c^2 higher than those obtained at a centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV. The (\mu,M_2) MSSM domain excluded by combining the chargino searches with neutralino searches at the Z resonance implies a limit on the mass of the lightest neutralino which, for a heavy sneutrino, is constrained to be above 31.0 GeV/c^2 for tan(beta) \geq 1.

The quark model does not exclude states composed of more than three quarks, like pentaquark systems. Controversial evidence for such states has been published in the last years, in particular: for a strange pentaquark Θ(1540)+; for a double-strange state, the Ξ(1862)−−, subsequently called Φ(1860)−−; and for a charmed state, the Θc(3100)0. If confirmed, a full pentaquark family might exist; such pentaquark states could be produced in e+e− annihilations near the Z energy. In this Letter a search for pentaquarks is described using the DELPHI detector at LEP, characterized by powerful particle identification sub-systems crucial in the separation of the signal from the background for these states. At 95% CL, upper limits are set on the production rates 〈N〉 of such particles and their charge-conjugate state per Z decay: 〈NΘ+〉×Br(Θ+→pKS0)<5.1×10−4, 〈NΘ++〉<1.6×10−3, 〈NΦ(1860)−−〉×Br(Φ(1860)−−→Ξ−π−)<2.9×10−4, 〈NΘc(3100)0〉×Br(Θc(3100)0→D∗+p¯)<8.8×10−4.

Measurements of on-shell ZZ production are described, using data collected by DELPHI in 1997 and 1998, at centre-of-mass energies s=182.6 GeV and 188.6 GeV, respectively. Results obtained in each of the final states qq̄qq̄, μ+μ−qq̄, e+e−qq̄, νν̄qq̄, l+l−l+l−, and νν̄l+l− are presented. The measured cross-sections for on-shell ZZ production via the tree-level doubly-resonant graphs (NC02) are: σNC02 (182.6 GeV)=0.38±0.18 (stat)±0.04 (syst) pb, σNC02 (188.6 GeV)=0.60±0.13 (stat)±0.07 (syst) pb. They are consistent with the Standard Model expectations of 0.25 and 0.65 pb at each energy.

A search for the supersymmetric partner of the goldstino, the sgoldstino S, at LEP2 is presented. The production Sγ followed by S decay into two gluons or into two photons was studied at 189–202 GeV LEP centre-of-mass energies. No evidence for the S production was found and limits on the S mass corresponding to different theory parameters are given.

The study of quark jets in e+e− reactions at LEP has demonstrated that the hadronisation process is reproduced well by the Lund string model. However, our understanding of gluon fragmentation is less complete. In this study enriched quark and gluon jet samples of different purities are selected in three-jet events from hadronic decays of the Z collected by the DELPHI experiment in the LEP runs during 1994 and 1995. The leading systems of the two kinds of jets are defined by requiring a rapidity gap and their sum of charges is studied. An excess of leading systems with total charge zero is found for gluon jets in all cases, when compared to Monte Carlo simulations with JETSET (with and without Bose–Einstein correlations included) and ARIADNE. The corresponding leading systems of quark jets do not exhibit such an excess. The influence of the gap size and of the gluon purity on the effect is studied and a concentration of the excess of neutral leading systems at low invariant masses (≲2GeV/c2) is observed, indicating that gluon jets might have an additional hitherto undetected fragmentation mode via a two-gluon system. This could be an indication of a possible production of gluonic states as predicted by QCD.

Low-energy particle production perpendicular to the event plane in three-jet events produced in Z decays in e+e− annihilation is measured and compared to that perpendicular to the event axis in two-jet events. The topology dependence of the hadron production ratio is found to agree with a leading-order QCD prediction. This agreement and especially the need for the presence of a destructive interference term gives evidence for the coherent nature of gluon radiation. Hadron production in three-jet events is found to be directly proportional to a single topological scale function of the inter-jet angles. The slope of the dependence of the multiplicity with respect to the topological scale was measured to be 2.211±0.014(stat.)±0.053(syst.) in good agreement with the expectation given by the colour-factor ratio CA/CF=9/4. This result strongly supports the assumption of local parton–hadron duality, LPHD, at low hadron momentum.

A search for the pair production of fourth generation b’-quarks was performed using data taken by the DELPHI detector at LEP-II. The analysed data were collected at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 196 to 209 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 420 pb-1. No evidence for a signal was found. Upper limits on BR(b’→bZ) and BR(b’→cW) were obtained for b’ masses ranging from 96 to 103 GeV/c 2. These limits, together with the theoretical branching ratios predicted by a sequential four generations model, were used to constrain the value of $R_{\text{CKM}}=|\frac{V_{cb\prime}}{V_{\text{tb}\prime}V_{tb}}|$ , where Vcb′, Vtb′ and Vtb are elements of the extended CKM matrix.

The systematic uncertainty on the W mass and width measurement resulting from the imperfect knowledge of electroweak radiative corrections is discussed. The intrinsic uncertainty in the 4-f generator used by the DELPHI Collaboration is studied following the guidelines of the authors of YFSWW, on which its radiative corrections part is based. The full DELPHI simulation, reconstruction and analysis chain is used for the uncertainty assessment. A comparison with the other available 4-f calculation implementing DPA O(alpha) corrections, RacoonWW, is also presented. The uncertainty on the W mass is found to be below 10 MeV for all the WW decay channels used in the measurement.

The BaBar Silicon Vertex Tracker (SVT) has been efficiently operated for six years since the start of data taking in 1999. Due to higher than expected background levels some unforeseen effects have appeared. We discuss: a shift in the pedestal for the channels of the AToM readout chips that are most exposed to radiation; an anomalous increase in the bias leakage current for the modules in the outer layers. Estimates of future radiation doses and occupancies are shown together with the extrapolated detector performance and lifetime, in light of the new observations.

An update of the search for sleptons, neutralinos and charginos in the context of scenarios where the lightest supersymmetric particle is the gravitino and the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle is a slepton, is presented, together with the update of the search for heavy stable charged particles in light gravitino scenarios and Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Models. Data collected in 1999 with the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies around 192, 196, 200 and 202 GeV were analysed. No evidence for the production of these supersymmetric particles was found. Hence, new mass limits were derived at 95% confidence level.

Measurements of the Ξ− and Ξ¯+ masses, mass differences, lifetimes and lifetime differences are presented. The Ξ¯+ sample used is much larger than those used previously for such measurements. In addition, the Ξ production rates in Z→bb¯ and Z→qq¯ events are compared and the position ξ∗ of the maximum of the ξ distribution in Z→qq¯ events is measured.

The BaBaR Silicon Vertex Tracker (SVT) has been efficiently operated for five years since the start of data taking in 1999. It has met design requirements and no degradation in its performance has been observed thus far. However, because of higher than expected background levels, and anticipated further increases in luminosity and dose rates, we have done a thorough study to assess the viability of operating the SVT until the end of the decade.

Muon pair production in the process e+e- -> e+e-mu+mu- is studied using the data taken at LEP1 (sqrt(s) \simeq m_Z) with the DELPHI detector during the years 1992-1995. The corresponding integrated luminosity is 138.5 pb^{-1}. The QED predictions have been tested over the whole Q^2 range accessible at LEP1 (from several GeV^2/c^4 to several hundred GeV^2/c^4) by comparing experimental distributions with distributions resulting from Monte Carlo simulations using various generators. Selected events are used to extract the leptonic photon structure function F_2^\gamma. Azimuthal correlations are used to obtain information on additional structure functions, F_A^\gamma and F_B^\gamma, which originate from interference terms of the scattering amplitudes. The measured ratios F_A^\gamma/F_2^\gamma and F_B^\gamma/F_2^\gamma are significantly different from zero and consistent with QED predictions.

The production of wrong sign charmed mesons b→D(s)X, D(s)=(D0,D+,Ds), is studied using the data collected by the DELPHI experiment in the years 1994 and 1995. Charmed mesons in Z→bb̄ events are exclusively reconstructed by searching for the decays D0→K−π+, D+→K−π+π+ and Ds+→φπ+→K+K−π+. The wrong sign contribution is extracted by using two discriminant variables: the charge of the b-quark at decay time, estimated from the charges of identified particles, and the momentum of the charmed meson in the rest frame of the b-hadron. The inclusive branching fractions of b-hadrons into wrong sign charm mesons are measured to be: B(b→D0X)+B(b→D−X)=(9.3±1.7(stat)±1.3(syst)±0.4(B))%, B(b→Ds−X)=(10.1±1.0(stat)±0.6(syst)±2.8(B))% where the first error is statistical, the second and third errors are systematic.

Measurements of Zγ* production are presented using data collected by the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies ranging from 183 to 209 GeV, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 667 pb-1. The measurements cover a wide range of the possible final state four-fermion configurations: hadronic and leptonic (e+e-qq̄, μ+μ-qq̄, qq̄νν̄), fully leptonic (l+l-l’+l’-) and fully hadronic final states (qq̄qq̄, with a low mass qq̄ pair). Measurements of the Zγ* cross-section for the various final states have been compared with the Standard Model expectations and found to be consistent within the errors. In addition, a total cross-section measurement of the l+l-l’+l’- cross-section is reported, and found to be in agreement with the prediction of the Standard Model.

Double-tagged interactions of photons with virtualities Q2 between 10 GeV2 and 200 GeV2 are studied with the data collected by DELPHI at LEPII from 1998 to 2000, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 550 pb-1. The γ*γ*→μ+μ- data agree with QED predictions. The cross-section of the reaction γ*γ*→hadrons is measured and compared to the LO and NLO BFKL calculations.

The CMS simulation has been operational within the new CMS software framework for more than 3 years. While the description of the detector, in particular in the forward region, is being completed, during the last year the emphasis of the work has been put on fine tuning of the physics output. The existing test beam data for the different components of the calorimetric system have been exploited to adjust different parts of the Geant4 models for hadronic and electromagnetic showers, as well as the CMS custom code used, in close collaboration with Geant4 developers. Significant improvements have been achieved in describing the data, albeit at the cost of a notable increase in cpu time. A big effort has therefore been undertaken to put in place a suite of performance analysis tools and a number of optimisations have now been introduced that allow the code to fit the resource constraints posed by the CMS computing model.

The production of simulated samples for physics analysis at LHC represents a noticeable organization challenge, because it requires the management of several thousands different workflows. The submission of a workflow to the grid based computing infrastructure starts with the definition of the general characteristics of a given set of coherent samples (called a 'campaign'), up to the definition of the physics settings to be used for each sample corresponding to a specific process to be simulated, both at hard event generation and detector simulation level. In order to have an organized control of the of the definition of the large number of MC samples needed by CMS, a dedicated management tool, called PREP, has been built. Its basic component is a database storing all the relevant information about the sample and the actions implied by the workflow definition, approval and production. A web based interface allows the database to be used from experts involved in production to trigger all the different actions needed, as well as by normal physicists involved in analyses to retrieve the relevant information. The tool is integrated through a set of dedicated APIs with the production agent and information storage utilities of CMS.

The rapidity-rank structure of p pbar pairs is used to analyze the mechanism of baryon production in hadronic Z0 decay. The relative occurrence of the rapidity-ordered configuration p M pbar, where M is a meson, and that of p pbar adjacent pairs is compared. The data are found to be consistent with predictions from a mechanism producing adjacent-rank p pbar pairs, without requiring `string-ordered' p M pbar configurations. An upper limit of 15% at 90% confidence is determined for the p M pbar contribution.

This paper presents the final interpretation of the results from DELPHI on the searches for Higgs bosons in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM). A few representative scenarios are considered, that include CP conservation and explicit CP violation in the Higgs sector. The experimental results encompass the searches for neutral Higgs bosons at LEP1 and LEP2 in final states as expected in the MSSM, as well as LEP2 searches for charged Higgs bosons and for neutral Higgs bosons decaying into hadrons independent of the quark flavour. The data reveal no significant excess with respect to background expectations. The results are translated into excluded regions of the parameter space in the various scenarios. In the CP-conserving case, these lead to limits on the masses of the lightest scalar and pseudoscalar Higgs bosons, h and A, and on tanβ. The dependence of these limits on the top quark mass is discussed. Allowing for CP violation reduces the experimental sensitivity to Higgs bosons. It is shown that this effect depends strongly on the values of the parameters responsible for CP violation in the Higgs sector.

One of the aims of the CMS design is to construct and operate a very high quality electromagnetic calorimeter. The detector performance will be monitored using applications based on the CMS Data Quality Monitoring (DQM) framework and running on the High-Level Trigger Farm as well as on local DAQ systems. The monitorable quantities are organized into hierarchical structures based on the physics content. The information produced is delivered to client applications according to their subscription requests. The client applications process the received quantities, according to pre-defined analyses, making the results immediately available, and store the results in a database, and in the form of static web pages, for subsequent studies. We describe here the functionalities of the CMS ECAL DQM applications and report about their use in a real environment.

A study of the inclusive charged hadron production in two-photon collisions is described. The data were collected with the DELPHI detector at LEP II. Results on the inclusive single-particle pT distribution and the differential charged hadrons dσ/dpT cross-section are presented and compared to the predictions of perturbative NLO QCD calculations and to published results.

The production of two high-p T jets in the interactions of quasi-real photons in e + e − collisions at $\sqrt{s_{ee}}$ from 189 GeV to 209 GeV is studied with data corresponding to an integrated e + e − luminosity of 550 pb−1. The jets reconstructed by the k ⊥ -cluster algorithm are defined within the pseudo-rapidity range −1<η<1 and with jet transverse momentum, p T , above 3 GeV/c. The differential di-jet cross-section is measured as a function of the mean transverse momentum $\overline{p_{T}}$ of the jets and is compared to perturbative QCD calculations.

In a study of the reaction e − e +→W − W + with the DELPHI detector, the probabilities of the two W particles occurring in the joint polarisation states transverse–transverse (TT), longitudinal–transverse plus transverse–longitudinal (LT) and longitudinal–longitudinal (LL) have been determined using the final states $WW{\rightarrow}l\nu q\bar{q}$ (l=e,μ). The two-particle joint polarisation probabilities, i.e. the spin density matrix elements ρ TT , ρ LT , ρ LL , are measured as functions of the W − production angle, $\theta _{W^{-}}$ , at an average reaction energy of 198.2 GeV. Averaged over all $\cos\theta_{W^{-}}$ , the following joint probabilities are obtained: $$\bar{\rho}_{TT}=(67\pm8)\%,$$ $$\bar{\rho}_{LT}=(30\pm8)\%,$$ $$\bar{\rho}_{LL}=(3\pm7)\%.$$ These results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions of 63.0%, 28.9% and 8.1%, respectively. The related polarisation cross-sections σ TT , σ LT and σ LL are also presented.

The events with two photons and missing (transverse) energy collected by the DELPHI detector at centre-of-mass energies between 130 GeV and 183 GeV have been studied to search for processes of the type e+e- → YY with the subsequent decay Y → X7, where X is an undetectable neutral particle. Reactions of this kind are expected in supersymmetric models, where the Y particle can be either the lightest neutralino, decaying to a photon and a gravitino, or the next-to-lightest neutralino, decaying to a photon and the lightest neutralino. To study the case of long-lived Y particles, a search for single-photon events with the reconstructed photon axis pointing far from the beam interaction region has also been performed. No evidence for a deviation from Standard Model expectations has been observed in the data and upper limits have been derived on the signal cross-section as a function of the the X and Y masses and of the Y mean decay path.

Observation is made of rapidity-alignment of K+K− and pp̄ pairs which results from their asymmetric orientation in rapidity, with respect to the direction from primary quark to antiquark. The K+K− and pp̄ data are consistent with predictions from the fragmentation string model. However, the pp̄ data strongly disagree with the conventional implementation of the cluster model. The non-perturbative process of ‘gluon splitting to diquarks’ has to be incorporated into the cluster model for it to agree with the data. Local conservation of pT between particles nearby in rapidity (i.e., pT compensation) is analysed with respect to the thrust direction for π+π−, K+K−, and pp̄ pairs. In this case, the string model provides fair agreement with the data. The cluster model is incompatible with the data for all three particle pairs. The model with its central premiss of isotropically-decaying clusters predicts a pT correlation not seen in the data.

The CMS collaboration has developed a detailed simulation of the electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL), which has been fully integrated in the collaboration software framework CMSSW. The simulation is based on the Geant4 detector simulation toolkit for the modelling of the passage of particles through matter and magnetic field. The geometrical description of the detector is being re-implemented using the DetectorDescription language, combining an XML based description of with the algorithmic definition of the position of the elements. The ECAL simulation software is fully operational and will be validated using real data from the ECAL test beam experiment that took place in summer 2006.

The hadronic part of the electron structure function F2e has been measured for the first time, using e+e− data collected by the DELPHI experiment at LEP, at centre-of-mass energies of s=91.2–209.5GeV. The data analysis is simpler than that of the measurement of the photon structure function. The electron structure function F2e data are compared to predictions of phenomenological models based on the photon structure function. It is shown that the contribution of large target photon virtualities is significant. The data presented can serve as a cross-check of the photon structure function F2γ analyses and help in refining existing parameterisations.

The production cross section of highly boosted vector bosons (V = W, Z) recoiling against jets is studied, with CMS data, differentially as function of the transverse momentum and angular correlations of the final state particles. The mechanism of production of heavy-flavoured mesons, containing b or c quarks, in association with vector bosons, W or Z, in the Standard Model is only partially understood. The study of events with one or two well-identified and isolated leptons accompanied by b-jets or b-mesons is therefore crucial to refine the theoretical calculations in perturbative QCD, as well as validate associated Monte Carlo techniques. A measurement of the WZ and ZZ production cross sections in proton-proton collisions at 8 TeV in final states where one Z boson decays to b-tagged jets, while the other gauge boson, either W or Z, is detected through its leptonic decay is also presented.

We present a summary of the studies of the electroweak sector of the Standard Model at LHC after the first year of data taking of Run2, focusing on possible results to be achieved with the analysis of full 2015 and 2016 data.We discuss the measurements of W and Z boson production, with particular attention to the precision determination of basic Standard Model parameters, and the study of multi-boson interactions through the analysis of boson-boson final states.

A new precise measurement of |V_{cb}| and of the branching ratio BR(\bar{B^0} -> D^{*+} \ell^- \bar{\nu_\ell}) has been performed using a sample of about 5000 semileptonic decays \bar{B^0} -> D^{*+} \ell^- \bar{\nu_\ell}, selected by the DELPHI detector at LEP I by tagging the soft pion from D^{*+} -> D^0 \pi^+. The results are: V_{cb}=(39.0 +/- 1.5 (stat.) ^{+2.5}_{-2.6} (syst. exp.) +/- 1.3 (syst. th.)) x 10^{-3} BR(\bar{B^0} -> D^{*+} \ell^- \bar{\nu_\ell})=(4.70 +/- 0.13 (stat.) ^{+0.36}_{-0.31} (syst. exp.))% The analytic dependences of the differential cross-section and of the Isgur Wise form factor as functions of the variable w = v_{B^0}.v_{D^*} have also been obtained by unfolding the experimental resolution.

Searches for {\mbox{$ {\mathrm H} {\mathrm Z} $}} production d with the Higgs boson decaying into an invisible final state have been performedd the data collected by the DELPHI experimentd up to the centre-of-mass energy of 188.6~{\mbox{$ {\mathrm{GeV}}$}}. d The hadronic and muon pair final states of the d {\mbox{$ {\mathrm Z} $}} d boson were analysed. No signal was found. d Upper limits on the cross-section and the corresponding Higgs boson mass d limits were set d at 95\% confidence level. Combining these results with DELPHI results for the vd a 95\% confidence level Higgs mass lower limit of 92.3~{\mbox{$d {\mathrm{GeV}}$}} was obtained, independentd of the branching ratio into visible and invisible decays.

In this note we summarize the progress made by the calorimeter simulation task force (CALOTF) over the past year. The CALOTF was established in February 2008 in order to understand and reconcile the discrepancies observed between the CMS calorimetry simulation and test beam data recorded during 2004 and 2006. The simulation has been significantly improved by using a newer version of GEANT4 and an improved physics list for the full CMS detector simulation. Simulation times have been reduced by introducing flexible parameterizations to describe showering in the calorimeter (using a GFLASH-like approach) which have been tuned to the test beam data.

A first measurement of the average polarisation Pτ of tau leptons produced in e+e− annihilation at energies significantly above the Z resonance is presented. The polarisation is determined from the kinematic spectra of tau hadronic decays. The measured value Pτ=−0.164±0.125 is consistent with the Standard Model prediction for the mean LEP energy of 197 GeV.

The selection of samples of events enriched in hadronic decays of the Z into [Formula: see text] pairs is made difficult by the poor knowledge of jet fragmentation. A Feed-Forward Neural Network can help in maximizing the performance of the classification. This will offer the possibility to test the universality of the Standard Model of the electroweak interaction, and to perform measurements in the sector of nonperturbative QCD.

We present a study of B semileptonic decays into charm final states based on 211.7 fb^{-1} of data collected at the \Upsilon(4S) resonance with the babar detector at the pep2 e^+e^- storage ring. Using a novel technique based on the simultaneous fit of a set of variables reconstructed on the recoil of a B tagged in an hadronic decay mode, we measure the relative branching fractions \Gamma(B^- \to D^0\ell^- \bar{\nu}_{\ell}) / \Gamma(B^- \to D X \ell^- \bar{\nu}_{\ell}) = 0.210 \pm 0.017 (stat.) \pm 0.021 (syst.), \Gamma(B^- \to D^{*0}\ell^- \bar{\nu}_{\ell}) / \Gamma(B^- \to D X \ell^- \bar{\nu}_{\ell}) = 0.611 \pm 0.022 (stat.) \pm 0.027 (syst.) and \Gamma(B^- \to D^{**0}(D^{(*)}\pi)\ell^- \bar{\nu}_{\ell}) / \Gamma(B^- \to D X \ell^- \bar{\nu}_{\ell}) = 0.173 \pm 0.017 (stat.) \pm 0.021 (syst.) .

The systematic uncertainty on the W mass and width measurement coming from the not perfect knowledge of electroweak radiative corrections is discussed. The intrinsic uncertainty in the 4-f generator used by DELPHI is studied following the guidelines of the YFSWW authors, on which its radiative corrections part is based. A comparison with the other available 4-f calculation implementing DPA O(fi) corrections, RacoonWW, is also presented. The uncertainty on the W mass is found to be below 10 MeV for all the WW decay channels used in the measurement.

The silicon vertex tracker (SVT) of the BaBar experiment at PEP II is briefly described. It consists of five layers of double-sided AC-coupled silicon strip detectors, constituting the core of the BaBar tracking system. After six years of operation, some unexpected effects have appeared. In particular, a shift in the pedestal for the channels of the AToM readout chips that are most exposed to radiation has been observed. The behavior has been understood and reproduced in AToM chip irradiations with 1-GeV electrons at Elettra (Trieste) and the results of the studies are presented here. A second unexpected behavior has been detected, consisting of an anomalous increase in the bias leakage current for the modules in the outer layers. The effect is beam-related but not directly linked to radiation damage, as suggested by the fact that it is not present in the inner layers. The cause has been understood and the conclusions are presented here. The effect has been reproduced in a qualitative way in the laboratory. Over the next three years the luminosity is predicted to increase by a factor of three, leading to radiation and occupancy levels significantly exceeding the detector design. Estimates of future radiation doses and occupancies are shown together with the extrapolated detector performance and lifetime, in light of the new observations. Upgrade scenarios to deal with the increased luminosity and backgrounds are discussed.

First released in 2010, the Rivet library forms an important repository for analysis code, facilitating comparisons between measurements of the final state in particle collisions and theoretical calculations of those final states.We give an overview of Rivet's current design and implementation, its uptake for analysis preservation and physics results, and summarise recent developments including propagation of MC systematic-uncertainty weights, heavy-ion and ep physics, and systems for detector emulation.In addition, we provide a short user guide that supplements and updates the Rivet user manual.