We present evidence for the existence of the strange b-flavoured meson B~ in a data sample of 470 628 hadronic Z decays recorded with the OPAL detector at LEP. A signal of 18.3±5.2(stat.)±0.9(syst.) D;;-£+ pairs (or charge conju,gate, R=e or R=Jl) is found after background subtraction, where the D, meson is detected in the )'lr and K*°K final states. Interpreting this signal as coming from the semileptonic deeay B~ --+ D; e+ v X and combining the two decay modes of the D., we find J(b--+ B~) · B(B~--+ D;;-R+vX) · B(D;;---+ >7r-)= (3.9±l.l(stat.)±0.8(syst.))x10-\ where J(b--+ B~) is the fraction of b quarks that result in a B~ meson in Z decays. This signal for the B~ is supported by our observation of an excess of 147±48 inclusive D, mesons in the >1r and K*°K modes above the number expected from B0 and B+ decays and from the fragmentation of primary c quarks. In addition, a search is made for the exclusive decay B~--+ JflP>. Based on one candidate event the 90% confidence level upper limit is determined to be f(b-+ B~) · B(B~ -+Jj./J>) < 0.22%. (Submitted to Physics Letters B) The 0 PAL Collaboration P.D. Acton, G. Alexander, J. Allison's, P.P. Allports, K.J. Anderson9 , S. Arcell?, A. Astbury2s, D. Axen29 , G. Azuelos1s,a, G.A. Bahan's, J.T.M. Baines's, A.H. Ball17, J. Banks's, R.J. Barlow's, S. Barnett's, J.R. Batley\ G. Bea.udoin18, A. Beck23, J. Becker10, T. Behnke27, K.W. BelP0, G. Bella, P. Berlich, S. Bethke , 0. Biebel', U. Binder10, l.J.Bloodworth , P.Bock11 , B.Boden3 , H.M.Bosch11 , S.Bougerolle29, H.Breukers, R.M. Brown20, A. Buijss, H.J. Burckharts, C. Burgard, I'. Capilupp?, R.K. Carnegies, A.A. Carter, J.R. CarterS, C.Y. Chang , D.G. Charlton8 , P.E.L. Clarke2S, I. Cohen23 , J.C. Clayton', W.J. Collins , J.E. Conboy , M. Cooper , M. Coupland , M. Cuffiani , S. Dado , G.M. Dallavalle, S. De Jong , L.A. del Pozos, H. Deng17, A. Dieckmann11 , M. Dittmar\ M.S. Dixit7 , E. do Couto e Silva12 , J.E. Duboscq , E. Duchovnis, G. Duckeck11 , l.P. Duerdoth1s, D.J.P. Dumass, P.A. ElcombeS, P.G. Estabrooks6 , E. Etzion23 , H. G. Evans9 , F. Fabbri2, M. Fincke-Keeler28, H.M. Fischer3, D.G. Fong17 , M. Foucher17, A. Gaidot 21 , 0. GaneFs, J.W. Gary\ J. Gascon , R.F. McGowan's, N.I. Geddes20, C. Geich-Gimbel3, S.W. Gensler , F.X. Gentit 21 , G. Giacomelli 2, V. Gibsons, W.R. Gibson13, J.D. Gillies20, J.Goldberg22 , M.J.Goodrick5 , W.Gorn\ C.Grandi , F.C.Grant5 , J.Hagemann27, G.G. Hanson , M. Hansroul8 , C.K. Hargrove7, P.F. Harrison1\ J. Hart8 , P.M. Hattersley', M. Hauschild , C.M. Haw kess, E. Heflin\ R.J. Hemingways, R.D. Heuer , J.C. Hill, S.J. Hillier', T. Hilse, D.A. Hinshaw, J.D. Hobbs , P.R. Hobson2s, D. Hochman26, R.J. Homer', A.K. Honma28·•, C.P. Howarth15 , R.E. Hughes-Jones16 , R. Humbert10, P. lgo-Kemenes11 , H. Ihssen11 , D.C. Imrie, A. C. Janissens, A. Jawahery, P.W. Jeffreys20 , H. Jeremie, M. Jimack2 , M. Jobes', R.W.L. Jones13, P. Jovanovic', C. Jui4 , D. Karlen6 , K. Kawagoe24, T. Kawamoto4, R.K. Keeler, R.G. Kellogg, B.W. Kennedy, S. Kluth', T. Kobayashi; T.P. Kokott3 , S. Komamiya24, L. Kopke8 , J.F. Krals, R. Kowalewski6, J. von Krogh11 , J. Kroll , M. Kuwano4, P. Kyberd, G.D. Lafferty's, F. Lamarche, J.G. Layter\ P. Le Du2', P. Leblanc1s, A.M. Lee17, M.H. Lehto15, D. Lellouch2s, P. Lennert11 , C. Leroy18, J. Letts\ S. Levegriin3 , L. Levinsons, S.L. Lloyd'', F.K. Loebinger16, J.M. Lorah17 , B. Lorazo , M.J. Losty7, X. C. Lou12 , J. Ludwig10 , M. Mannellis, S. Marcellini 2, G. Maringer3 , C. Markus3 , A.J. Martin, J.P. Martin, T. Mashimo<, P. Mattig , U. Maur', J. McKenna2s, T.J. McMahon', J.R. McNutt2s, F. Meijerss, D. Menszner11 , F.S. Merritt9 , H. Mes , A. Michelinis, R.P. Middleton, G. Mikenberg, J. Mildenberger, D.J. Miller, R. Mir, W. Mohr, C. Moisan18 , A. Montanari2 , T. Mori24, M. Mo:rii24, T. Mouthuy12 •b, B. Nellen3, H.H. Nguyen9 , M. Nozaki24, S.W. O'Neale•', F.G. Oakham, F. Odorici, H.O. Ogren12 , C.J. Oram•", M.J. Oreglia9 , S. Orito24, J.P. Pansart2', B. Panzer-Steindel8 , P. Paschievici2s, G.N. Patrick, N. Paz-Jaoshvili" , P. Pfister10 , J.E. Pilcher9 , D. Pitman28, D.E. Plane8 , P. Poffenberger28 , B. Poli2 , A. Pouladdejs, E. Prebys8 , T.W. Pritchard13, H. Przysiezniak1s, G. Quast, M.W. Redmond , D.L. Rees', G.E. RichardE

From about 4 million hadronic Z 0 decays recorded by the OPAL detector on and near to the Z 0 resonance, we select a sample of more than 570 000 inclusively reconstructed B mesons. Orbitally-excited mesons B J are reconstructed using B combinations. Independently , B mesons are reconstructed using the decay B ! B. The selected B candidates are used to obtain samples enriched or depleted in the decay B J ! B (X), where (X) refers to decay modes with or without additional accompanying decay particles. From the number of signal candidates in the B mass spectra of these two samples, we perform the rst measurement of the branching ratio of orbitally-excited B mesons decaying into B (X): where the rst error is statistical and the second systematic. If B J decay modes other than single pion transitions can be neglected the measured ratio corresponds to the branching ratio BR(B J ! B). In the framework of Heavy Quark Symmetry, a simultaneous t to the B mass spectra of the samples enriched or depleted in B J ! B (X) decays yields the mass and the width of the B 1 (3=2) state, as well as the branching ratio of B J mesons decaying into B : where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively.

A search for stable and long-lived massive particles of electric charge |Q/e| = 1 or 2/3, pair-produced in ee collisions at centre-of-mass energies from 130 to 183 GeV, is reported by the OPAL collaboration at LEP. No evidence for production of these particles was observed in a mass range between 45 and 89.5 GeV. Model-independent upper limits on the production cross-section between 0.05 and 0.19 pb have been derived for scalar and spin-1/2 particles with charge ±1. Within the framework of the minimal supersymmetric model (MSSM), this implies a lower limit of 82.5 (83.5) GeV on the mass of long-lived right(left-)handed scalar muons and scalar taus. Long-lived charged leptons and charginos are excluded for masses below 89.5 GeV. For particles with charge ±2/3 the upper limits on the production cross-section vary between 0.05 and 0.2 pb. All limits, on masses and on cross-sections, are valid at the 95% confidence level for particles with lifetimes longer than 10 s. (Submitted to Physics Letters B) The OPAL Collaboration K.Ackerstaff, G.Alexander, J. Allison, N.Altekamp, K.J.Anderson, S.Anderson, S.Arcelli, S.Asai, S.F.Ashby, D.Axen, G.Azuelos, A.H.Ball, E. Barberio, R.J. Barlow, R.Bartoldus, J.R.Batley, S. Baumann, J. Bechtluft, T.Behnke, K.W.Bell, G.Bella, S. Bentvelsen, S. Bethke, S. Betts, O.Biebel, A.Biguzzi, S.D.Bird, V.Blobel, I.J. Bloodworth, M.Bobinski, P. Bock, D.Bonacorsi, M.Boutemeur, S. Braibant, L. Brigliadori, R.M.Brown, H.J. Burckhart, C.Burgard, R.Bürgin, P.Capiluppi, R.K.Carnegie, A.A.Carter, J.R.Carter, C.Y.Chang, D.G.Charlton, D.Chrisman, P.E.L.Clarke, I. Cohen, J.E.Conboy, O.C.Cooke, C.Couyoumtzelis , R.L.Coxe, M.Cuffiani, S.Dado, C.Dallapiccola, G.M.Dallavalle, R.Davis, S.De Jong, L.A. del Pozo, A. de Roeck, K.Desch, B.Dienes, M.S.Dixit, M.Doucet, E.Duchovni, G.Duckeck, I.P.Duerdoth, D. Eatough, P.G.Estabrooks, E. Etzion, H.G.Evans, M.Evans, F. Fabbri, A. Fanfani, M.Fanti, A.A. Faust, L. Feld, F. Fiedler, M.Fierro, H.M.Fischer, I. Fleck, R. Folman, D.G.Fong, M.Foucher, A. Fürtjes, D.I. Futyan, P.Gagnon, J.W.Gary, J.Gascon, S.M.Gascon-Shotkin, N.I.Geddes, C.Geich-Gimbel, T.Geralis, G.Giacomelli, P.Giacomelli, R.Giacomelli, V.Gibson, W.R.Gibson, D.M.Gingrich, D.Glenzinski, J.Goldberg, M.J.Goodrick, W.Gorn, C.Grandi, E.Gross, J.Grunhaus, M.Gruwé, C.Hajdu, G.G.Hanson, M.Hansroul, M.Hapke, C.K.Hargrove, P.A.Hart, C.Hartmann, M.Hauschild, C.M.Hawkes, R.Hawkings, R.J.Hemingway, M.Herndon, G.Herten, R.D.Heuer, M.D.Hildreth, J.C.Hill, S.J.Hillier, P.R.Hobson, A.Hocker, R.J.Homer, A.K.Honma, D.Horváth, K.R.Hossain, R.Howard, P.Hüntemeyer, D.E.Hutchcroft, P. Igo-Kemenes, D.C. Imrie, K. Ishii, A. Jawahery, P.W. Jeffreys, H. Jeremie, M. Jimack, A. Joly, C.R. Jones, M. Jones, U. Jost, P. Jovanovic, T.R. Junk, J.Kanzaki, D.Karlen, V.Kartvelishvili, K.Kawagoe, T.Kawamoto, P.I.Kayal, R.K.Keeler, R.G.Kellogg, B.W.Kennedy, J.Kirk, A.Klier, S.Kluth, T.Kobayashi, M.Kobel, D.S.Koetke, T.P.Kokott, M.Kolrep, S.Komamiya, R.V.Kowalewski, T.Kress, P.Krieger, J. von Krogh, P.Kyberd, G.D. Lafferty, R. Lahmann, W.P. Lai, D. Lanske, J. Lauber, S.R. Lautenschlager, I. Lawson, J.G. Layter, D. Lazic, A.M.Lee, E. Lefebvre, D. Lellouch, J. Letts, L. Levinson, B. List, S.L. Lloyd, F.K. Loebinger, G.D. Long, M.J. Losty, J. Ludwig, D. Lui, A.Macchiolo, A.Macpherson, M.Mannelli, S.Marcellini, C.Markopoulos, C.Markus, A.J.Martin, J.P.Martin, G.Martinez, T.Mashimo, P.Mättig, W.J.McDonald, J.McKenna, E.A.Mckigney, T.J.McMahon, R.A.McPherson, F.Meijers, S.Menke, F.S.Merritt, H.Mes, J.Meyer, A.Michelini, S.Mihara, G.Mikenberg, D.J.Miller, A.Mincer, R.Mir, W.Mohr, A.Montanari, T.Mori, K.Nagai, I. Nakamura, H.A.Neal, B.Nellen, R.Nisius, S.W.O’Neale, F.G.Oakham, F.Odorici, H.O.Ogren, A.Oh, N.J.Oldershaw, M.J.Oreglia, S.Orito, J. Pálinkás, G. Pásztor, J.R.Pater, G.N.Patrick, J. Patt, R. Perez-Ochoa, S. Petzold, P. Pfeifenschneider , J.E. Pilcher, J. Pinfold, D.E.Plane, P. Poffenberger, B. Poli, A. Posthaus, C.Rembser, S. Robertson, S.A.Robins, N.Rodning, J.M.Roney, A.Rooke, A.M.Rossi, P.Routenburg, Y.Rozen, K.Runge, O.Runolfsson, U.Ruppel, D.R.Rust, K. Sachs, T. Saeki, O. Sahr, W.M. Sang, E.K.G. Sarkisyan, C. Sbarra, A.D. Schaile, O. Schaile, F. Scharf, P. Scharff-Hansen, J. Schieck, P. Schleper, B. Schmitt, S. Schmitt, A. Schöning, M. Schröder, M. Schumacher, C. Schwick , W.G. Scott,

We report the rst observation of Z== production in Compton scattering of quasi-real photons. This is a subprocess of the reaction e + e ? ! e + e ? Z== , where one of the nal state electrons is undetected. Approximately 55 pb ?1 of data collected in the year 1997 at an e + e ? centre-of-mass energy of 183 GeV with the OPAL detector at LEP have been analysed. The Z== from Compton scattering has been detected in the hadronic decay channel. Within well deened kinematic bounds, we measure the product of cross-section and Z== branching ratio to hadrons to be (0.90.30.1) pb for events with a hadronic mass larger than 60 GeV, dominated by (e)eZ production. In the hadronic mass region between 5 GeV and 60 GeV, dominated by (e)e production, this product is found to be (4.11.60.6) pb. Our results agree with the predictions of two Monte Carlo event generators, grc4f and PYTHIA.

We describe the design and operation of a detector system for measuring all-photon decays of mesons photoproduced in a tagged photon beam with energies between 4.3 and 5.4 GeV and a flux of 5 x 10(7) tagged photons per second. Photons from meson decays were detected with a lead-glass calorimeter with an energy resolution of 11% at I GeV. Various veto and trigger components were also present. Final states with as many as six photons were successfully detected and reconstructed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cross-sections for hadronic and leptonic two-fermion events, and leptonic forward-backward asymmetries, have been measured in e + e ? collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 161 GeV, using the OPAL detector at LEP. Results are presented both including and excluding the dominant production of radiative Z 0 events. We have measured R b , the ratio of the number of bb to all multihadronic events at 161 GeV, and compared it to the result obtained at 130{136 GeV. All results agree well with the Standard Model expectations. In a model-independent t to the Z 0 lineshape, the data presented here give an improved precision on the Z 0-interference term. The data have also been used to obtain new limits on extensions of the Standard Model described by eeective four-fermion contact interactions.

A study of b quark fragmentation at LEP is presented using a sample of semileptonic B decays containing a fully reconstructed charm meson. The data are compared to several theoretical models for heavy quark fragmentation; the free parameters in these models are tted and the sensitivity of the model parameters to the rate of P-wave B meson production is studied. The mean scaled energy fraction of B 0 and B + mesons has been determined to be hx E i = 0:695 0:006 0:003 0:007, where the errors are statistical, systematic and model dependence respectively. This result is consistent with previous, less direct measurements from inclusive leptonic B decays. Also presented is a model independent t to the shape of the energy distribution of weakly decaying B mesons at LEP.

The transition radiation tracker (TRT) is one of three particle tracking detectors now under construction for the ATLAS experiment, whose goal is to exploit the highly exciting new physics potential at CERN's next accelerator, the so called Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The TRT consists of 370000 straw proportional tubes of 4 mm diameter with a 30 micron thick anode wire, which will be operated with a Xe/CO 2 /O 2 gas mixture at a high voltage of approximately 1.5 kV. While the construction of the TRT is now well under way, a number of interesting and challenging questions need to be solved with regard to wire aging phenomena, which are induced by pollution originating from very small amounts of silicon-based vacuum materials in some components of the gas system. Finally a guideline to avoid aging in wire chamber detectors in high luminosity experiments is given

The Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT) sits at the outermost part of the ATLAS Inner Detector, encasing the Pixel Detector and the Semi-Conductor Tracker (SCT). The TRT combines charged particle track reconstruction with electron identification capability. This is achieved by layers of xenon-filled straw tubes with periodic radiator foils or fibers providing TR photon emission. The design and choice of materials have been optimized to cope with the harsh operating conditions at the LHC, which are expected to lead to an accumulated radiation dose of 10 Mrad and a neutron fluence of up to 2middot10 14 n/cm 2 after ten years of operation. The TRT comprises a barrel containing 52 000 axial straws and two end-cap parts with 320 000 radial straws. The total of 420 000 electronic channels (two channels per barrel straw) allows continuous tracking with many projective measurements (more than 30 straw hits per track). The assembly of the barrel modules in the US has recently been completed, while the end-cap wheel construction in Russia has reached the 50% mark. After testing at the production sites and shipment to CERN, all modules and wheels undergo a series of quality and conformity measurements. These acceptance tests survey dimensions, wire tension, gas-tightness, high-voltage stability and gas-gain uniformity along each individual straw. This paper gives details on the acceptance criteria and measurement methods. An overview of the most important results obtained to-date is also given

A partial wave analysis of the ππ system produced in the charge exchange reaction: πp → ππn at an incident momentum of 18.3 GeV/c is presented as a function of ππ invariant mass, mπ0π0 , and momentum transfer squared, |t|, from the incident π − to the outgoing ππ system. For small values of |t|, the S-wave intensity shows a broad enhancement at low mπ0π0 with a sharp dip in the vicinity of the f0 (980). A dip is also observed in the vicinity of the f0 (1500). There is rapid variation of the S to D0 relative phase difference in these mass regions. For large values of |t|, the f0 (980) appears as a bump. The f2 (1270),

The ATLAS Inner Detector consists of three sub-systems, the Pixel Detector at the innermost radius, the Semi-Conductor Tracker at intermediate radii, and the Transition Radiation Tracker (TRT) at the outermost radius in front of the electromagnetic calorimeter. The TRT provides a combination of continuous tracking with many projective measurements based on individual drift-tubes (or straws) and of electron identification based on radiator fibres or foils interleaved between the straws themselves. This paper describes the current status of design and construction of the various components of the TRT: the assembly of the barrel modules has recently been completed, that of the end-cap wheels is well underway, and the on-detector front-end electronics is in production. The detector modules and front-end electronics boards will be integrated together over the next year, the barrel and end-cap TRT parts will be assembled and tested with their SCT counterparts during 2005 and installation and commissioning in the ATLAS pit will take place at the end of 2005 and the beginning of 2006.

Several prototypes of the Transition Radiation Tracker for the ATLAS experiment at the LHC have been built and tested at the CERN SPS accelerator. Results from detailed studies of the straw-tube hit registration efficiency and drift-time measurements and of the pion and electron spectra without and with radiators are presented.

The techniques to measure the position of sense wires and field wires, the gas gain and the gas flow rate inside wire chambers using a collimated and filtered X-ray beam are reported. Specific examples are given using barrel modules of the Transition Radiation Tracker of the ATLAS experiment.