Search for Charginos with a Small Mass Difference with the Lightest Supersymmetric Particle at \sqrt{s} = 189 GeV

A search for charginos nearly mass-degenerate with the lightest supersymmetric particle is performed using the 176 pb^-1 of data collected at 189 GeV in 1998 with the L3 detector. Mass differences between the chargino and the lightest supersymmetric particle below 4 GeV are considered. The presence of a high transverse momentum photon is required to single out the signal from the photon-photon interaction background. No evidence for charginos is found and upper limits on the cross section for chargino pair production are set. For the first time, in the case of heavy scalar leptons, chargino mass limits are obtained for any \tilde{\chi}^{+-}_1 - \tilde{\chi}^0_1 mass difference

QCD studies in e+e−e^{+}e^{-} annihilation from 30 GeV to 189 GeV

We present results obtained from a study of the structure of hadronic events recorded by the L3 detector at various centre-of-mass energies.The distributions of event shape variables and the energy dependence of their mean values are measured from 30 GeV to 189 GeV and compared with various QCD models. The energy dependence of the moments of event shape variables is used to test a power law ansatz for the non-perturbativecomponent. We obtain a universal value of the non-perturbative parameter$\alpha_{0}$ = 0.537 $\pm$ 0.073. From a comparison with resummed$\cal{O} \alpha_{\rm s}^{2})$ QCD calculations, we determine thestrong coupling constant at each of the selected energies. The measurements demonstrate the running of $\alpha_{\rm s}$ as expected in QCD with a value of$\alpha_{\rm s} (m_{\rm Z})$ = 0.1215 $\pm$ 0.0012 (exp) $\pm$ 0.0061 (th)

Υ\Upsilon production in Z Decays

We have searched for evidence of Upsilon production in 3.5 million hadronic Z decays collected by the L3 detector at LEP in 1991-1995. No signals are observed for the decay chain Z -> Upsilon X; Upsilon -> l+l- (l= e, mu), therefore upper limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the following Z branching fractions: BR (Z -> Upsilon(1S) X) Upsilon(2S) X) Upsilon(3S) X) < 9.4 x 10**-5

Measurement of the Michel Parameters and the Average τ\tau-Neutrino Helicity from τ\tau Decays at LEP

Four of the Michel parameters and the average tau-neutrino helicity have been measured by analysing tau decay spectra in 147 \pb ~of data collected by the L3 detector. The decays \tte, ~\ttm, ~\ttp, ~\ttr ~and their charge conjugates were considered. The results: $\rho = 0.762 \pm 0.035$, $\eta = 0.27 \pm 0.14$, $\xi = 0.70 \pm 0.16$, $\xi\delta = 0.70 \pm0.11$ and $\xi_{h} = -1.032 \pm 0.031$ are consistent with a V$-$A structure for the weak charged current and lepton universality

Measurement of the Average Lifetime of b-Hadrons in Z Decays

We present a measurement of the average b-hadron lifetime ${\rm \tau_b}$ at the $\mathrm{e^+e^-} \,$ collider LEP. Using hadronic Z decays collected in the period from 1991 to 1994, two independent analyses have been performed. In the first one, the b-decay position is reconstructed as a secondary vertex of hadronic b-decay particles. The second analysis is an updated measurement of ${\rm \tau_b}$ using the impact parameter of leptons with high momentum and high transverse momentum. The combined result is \begin{center} ${\rm \tau_b= [ 1549 \pm 9 \, (stat) \, \pm 15 \, (syst) ] \; fs \,}$ . \end{center} In addition, we measure the average charged b-decay multiplicity ${\rm \langle n_{\rm b}} \rangle$ and the normalized average b-energy ${\rm \langle x_E \rangle_{\rm b}}$ at LEP to be \begin{center} ${\rm \langle n_{\rm b} \rangle = 4.90 \pm 0.04 \ (stat) \pm 0.11 \, (syst)}$ , \end{center} \begin{center} ${\rm \langle x_E \rangle_{\rm b} = 0.709 \pm 0.004 \, (stat + syst).}$ \end{center

Search for neutral charmless B decays at LEP

A search for rare charmless decays of \Bd and \Bs mesons has been performed in the exclusive channels \Bd_{(\mathrm s)}\ra\eta\eta, \Bd_{(\mathrm s)}\ra\eta\pio and \Bd_{(\mathrm s)}\ra\pio\pio. The data sample consisted of three million hadronic \Zo 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 \begin{displaymath} \mathrm{Br}(\Bd\ra\eta\eta)<4.1\times 10^{-4},\,\, \mathrm{Br}(\Bs\ra\eta\eta)<1.5\times 10^{-3},\,\, \end{displaymath} \begin{displaymath} \mathrm{Br}(\Bd\ra\eta\pio)<2.5\times 10^{-4},\,\, \mathrm{Br}(\Bs\ra\eta\pio)<1.0\times 10^{-3},\,\, \end{displaymath} \begin{displaymath} \mathrm{Br}(\Bd\ra\pio\pio)<6.0\times 10^{-5},\,\, \mathrm{Br}(\Bs\ra\pio\pio)<2.1\times 10^{-4}. \end{displaymath} These are the first experimental limits on \Bd\ra\eta\eta and on the \Bs neutral charmless modes

Measurement of the Effective Weak Mixing Angle by Jet-Charge Asymmetry in Hadronic Decays of the Z Boson

The coupling of the Z boson to quarks is studied in a sample of about 3.5 million hadronic Z decays collected by the L3 experiment at LEP from 1991 to 1995. The forward-backward quark charge asymmet ry is measured by means of a jet charge technique. From the measured asymmetries, the effective weak mixing angle is determined to be \begin{center} $\STE = 0.2327 \pm 0.0012(\mbox{\emph{stat.}} ) \pm 0.0013(\mbox{\emph{syst.}

Study of the Weak Charged Hadronic Current in b Decays

Charged and neutral particle multiplicities of jets associated with identified semileptonic and hadronic b decays are studied. The observed differences between these jets are used to determine the inclusive properties of the weak charged hadronic current. The average charged particle multiplicity of the weak charged hadronic current in b decays is measured for the first time to be 2.69$\pm$0.07(stat.)$\pm$0.14(syst.). This result is in good agreement with the JETSET hadronization model of the weak charged hadronic current if 40$\pm$17\% of the produced mesons are light--flavored tensor (L=1) mesons. This level of tensor meson production is consistent with the measurement of the $\pi^0$ multiplicity in the weak charged hadronic current in b decays. \end{abstract

Local multiplicity fluctuations in hadronic Z decay

Local multiplicity fluctuations in hadronic Z decays are studied using the L3 detector at LEP. Bunching parameters are used for the first time in addition to the normalised factorial moment method. The bunching parameters directly demonstrate that the fluctuations in rapidity are multifractal. Monte Carlo models show overall agreement with the data, reproducing the trend, although not always the magnitude, of the factorial moments and bunching parameters