The L3 central tracking detector has been in operation since the start-up of LEP (Large Electron Positron collider) in 1989. This detector consists of a Time Expansion Chamber (TEC), a layer of Plastic Scintillating Fibers and a Z-chamber. The TEC gives a high spatial resolution and an excellent multi-track reconstruction capability. The fibers are designed to calibrate the drift velocity with high precision. The Z-Chamber provides TEC with accurate information about the z-coordinates of the tracks. A description of the design and the infrastructure of these three detectors, including the readout and data acquisition system, is given. The performance of the detectors during the 1990 and 1991 LEP running periods is presented.

We have measured the partial widths of the Z0 into lepton pairs, and the forward-backward charge asymmetry for the process e+e−→μ+μ− using the L3 detector at LEP. We obtain an average Γℓℓ of 83.0±2.1±1.1 MeV.From this result and the asymmetry measurement, we extract the values of the vector and axial vector couplings of the Z0 to leptons: grmv=−0.066−0.027+0.046 and grmA= −0.495−0.007+0.007.

We have measured both the rates and the forward-backward asymmetry of ℓ+ℓ− from Z0→ℓ+ℓ− (where ℓ=μ, τ) with the L3 detector. We obtained Γℓℓ=88±4±3 MeV and the vector neutral current coupling constant, gv=0.00±0.07 and the axial vector neutral current coupling constant, gA=−0.515±0.015.

The L3 experiment is one of the six large detectors designed for the new generation of electron-positron accelerators. It is the only detector that concentrates its efforts on limited goals of measuring electrons, muons and photons. By not attempting to identify hadrons, L3 has been able to provide an order of magnitude better resolution for electrons, muons and photons. Vertices and hadron jets are also studied. The construction of L3 has involved much state of the art technology in new principles of vertex detection and in new crystals for large scale electromagnetic shower detection and ultraprecise muon detection. This paper presents a summary of the construction of L3.

We have measured the properties of Z0 → bb decays using a sample of 944 inclusive muon events, corresponding to 18 000 hadron events obtained with the L3 detector at LEP. We measured the partial decay width of the Z0 into bb, Γbb=353±48 MeV, and we determined the vector coupling of the Z0 to the b quark; grmv2(b)=0.095±0.047. We measured the forward-backward charge asymmetry in e+e− → bb events at √s≈Mv, and obtained Abb=13.3±9.9%.

We have made a precise measurement of the cross section for e+e−→Z0→hadrons with the L3 detector at LEP, covering the s range from 88.28 to 95.04 GeV. From a fit to the Z0 mass, total width, and the hadronic cross section to be MZ0=91.160 ± 0.024 (experiment) ±0.030(LEP) GeV, ΓZ0=2.539±0.054 GeV, and σh(MZ0)=29.5±0.7 nb. We also used the fit to the Z0 peak cross section and the width todetermine Γinvisible=0.548±0.029 GeV, which corresponds to 3.29±0.17 species of light neutrinos. The possibility of four or more neutrino flavors is thus ruled out at the 4σ confidence level.

We report the results of first physics runs of the L3 detector at LEP. Based on 2538 hadron events, we determined the mass mz0 and the width Γz0 of the intermediate vector boson Z0 to be mz0=91.132±0.057 GeV (not including the 46 MeV LEP machine energy uncertainty) and Γz0=2.588±0.137 GeV. We also determined Γinvisible=0.567±0.080 GeV, corresponding to 3.42±0.48 number of neutrino flavors. We also measured the muon pair cross section and determined the branching ratio Γμμ=Γh=0.056±0.006. The partial width of Z0→e+e− is Γee=88±9±7 MeV.

We have searched for scalar muons μ, scalar electrons ẽ, and winos W̃ from the reactions e+e− →ẽ+ẽ−, μ+μ−, W̃+W̃− at √s ∼ 91 GeV with an integrated luminosity of 157 nb −1. We have searched for μ+μ−, e+e−, or e−μ final states with missing transverse momentum PT > 6 GeV. These final states are signatures for the production of ẽ, μ, and W̃. We found no events. Our results are Mμ > 41 GeV, Mẽ > 41 GeV, and MW̃ > 44 GeV at the 95% confidence level.

The design and results from a beam test for a small vertex detector, now installed in the DESY MARK J experiment, are presented. The concept of this drift chamber is based on the time expansion principle with readout planes inclined to solve the left-right ambiguity. A spatial resolution of 35 μm, varying weakly as a function of drift length and azimuthal angle, has been achieved.