The four LEP experiments have each performed precision measurements of Z0 parameters. A method is described for combining the results of the four experiments, which takes into account the experimental and theoretical systematic errors and their correlations. We apply this method to the 1989 and 1990 LEP data, corresponding to approximately 650 000 Z0 decays into hadrons and charged leptons, to obtain precision values for the Z0 parameters. We use these results to test the standard model and to constrain its parameters.

Using a data sample of 115000 hadronicZ0 decays, a search was performed for the production of excited charged leptons decaying into an ordinary lepton and one photon. Pair production of excited leptons of mass below 45 GeV/c2 is excluded. From an analysis of the lepton-photon mass spectra this experiment is also able to exclude single production of these particles for masses that reach up to 85 GeV/c2, if the compositeness scale is below 1 TeV.

The study of the orientation of three-jet events from e+e− → Z0 → multi-hadrons is presented, in particular the polar angle distributions of the thrust axis and of the normal to the three-jet plane, and the azimuthal correlations between the hadron plane and the one defined by the beam and thrust axes. The data are compared with results at lower energy and with QCD predictions. Good agreement with QCD predictions is observed. The scalar gluon theory is excluded by the data.

The total and differential cross-sections for the reaction e+e− → γγ(γ) are measured at centre of mass energies around 91 GeV using an integrated luminosity of 4.7 pb−1. The aggreement with QED prediction is good. Consequently there is no evidence for non-standard channels which would have the same experimental signature. The lower limits on the QED cuttoff parameters are Λ+ > 113 GeV and Λ− > 95 GeV. An upper limit on the effective coupling between a possible excited electron and the gamma is derived. At 95% confidence level the branching ratios for Z0 decay into π0γ, ηψ and γγγ are below 1.5 × 10−4, 2.8 × 10−4 and 1.4 × 10−4 respectively.

A search for light Higgs bosons was performed using the data sample collected in 1990 by the DELPHI detector at LEP, at centre of mass energies between 88.2 and 94.2 GeV. Using the process e+e−→H 0+Z 0*,Z 0*→ff, it is possible to exclude the existence of the standard model Higgs particle with a mass between 0 and 210 MeV/c2 at the 99% confidence level. Extending this analysis to the minimal supersymmetric standard model restricts the lightest neutral Higgs boson to masses above 28 GeV/c2 irrespective of the value of the mixing angle.

Measurements of the cross section and forward-backward asymmetry for the reaction e+e− → μ+μ− using the DELPHI detector at LEP are presented. The data come from a scan around the Z0 peak at seven centre of mass energies, giving a sample of 3858 events in the polar angle region 22° < θ < 158°. From a fit to the cross section for 43° < θ < 137°, a polar angle region for which the absolute efficiency has been determined, the square root of the product of the Z0 → e+e− and Z0 → μ+μ− partial widths is determined to be (ΓeΓμ)12 = 85.0 ± 0.9(stat.) ± 0.8(syst.) MeV. From this measurement of the partial width, the value of the effective weak mixing angle is determined to be sin2(θw) = 0.2267 ± 0.0037. The ratio of the hadronic to muon pair partial widths is found to be Γh/Γμ = 19.89 ± 0.40(stat.) ± 0.19(syst.). The forward-backward asymmetry at the resonance peak energy ECMS = 91.22 GeV is found to be AFB = 0.028 ± 0.020(stat.) ± 0.005(syst.). From a combined fit to the cross section and forward-backward asymmetry data, the products of the electron and muon vector and axial-vector coupling constants are determined to be VeVμ = 0.0024 ± 0.0015(stat.) ± 0.0004(syst.) and AeAμ = 0.253 ± 0.003(stat.) ± 0.003 (syst.). The results are in good agreement with the expectations of the minimal standard model.

From measurements of the cross sections for e+ e - --> hadrons and the cross sections and forward-backward charge-asymmetries for e+ e- --> e+ e-, mu+ mu- and tau+ tau- at several centre-of-mass energies around the Z0 pole with the DELPHI apparatus, using approximately 150000 hadronic and leptonic events from 1989 and 1990, one determines the following Z0 parameters: the mass and total width M(Z) = 91.177 +/- 0.022 GeV, GAMMA(Z) = 2.465 +/- 0.020 GeV, the hadronic and leptonic partial widths GAMMA(h) = 1.726 +/- 0.019 GeV, GAMMA(t) = 83.4 +/- 0.8 MeV, the invisible width GAMMA(inv) = 488 +/- 17 MeV, the ratio of hadronic over leptonic partial widths R(Z)z = 20.70 +/- 0.29 and the Born level hadronic peak cross section sigma-0 = 41.84 +/- 0.45 nb. A flavour-independent measurement of the leptonic cross section gives very consistent results to those presented above (GAMMA(t) = 83.7 +/- 0.8 MeV). From these results the number of light neutrino species is determined to be N(nu) = 2.94 +/0. 10. The individual leptonic widths obtained are: GAMMA(e) = 82.4 +/- 1.2 MeV, GAMMA(mu) = 86.9 +/- 2.1 MeV and GAMMA(tau) = 82.7 +/- 2.4 MeV. Assuming universality, the squared vector and axial-vector couplings of the Z0 to charged leptons are: VBAR(t)2 = 0.0003 +/- 0.0010 and ABAR(l)2 = 0.2508 +/- 0.0027. These values correspond to the electroweak parameters: rho(eff) = 1.003 +/- 0.011 and sin2-theta(W)eff = 0.241 +/- 0.009. Within the Minimal Standard Model (MSM), the results can be expressed in terms of a single parameter: sin2-theta(W)MSBAR = 0.2338 +/- 0.0027. All these values are in good agreement with the predictions of the MSM. Fits yield 43 < m(top) < 215 GeV at the 95% level. Finally, the measured values of GAMMA(Z) and GAMMA(inv), are used to derive lower mass bounds for possible new particles.

The total and differential cross-sections for the reaction e+e- --> gamma-gamma(gamma) are measured at centre of mass energies around 91 GeV using an integrated luminosity of 4.7 pb-1. The agreement with the QED prediction is good. Consequently there is no evidence for non-standard channels which would have the same experimental signature. The lower limits on the QED cutoff parameters are LAMBDA+ > 113 GeV and LAMBDA- > 95 GeV. An upper limit on the effective coupling between a possible excited electron and the gamma is derived. At 95% confidence level the branching ratios for Z0 decay into pi-0-gamma, eta-gamma and gamma-gamma-gamma are below 1.5 x 10(-4), 2.8 x 10(-4) and 1.4 x 10(-4) respectively.

This paper presents an analysis of the multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced inZ0 hadronic decays in the DELPHI detector. It is based on a sample of 25364 events. The average multiplicity is nch>=20.71±0.04(stat)±0.77(syst) and the dispersionD=6.28±0.03(stat)±0.43(syst). The data are compared with the results at lower energies and with the predictions of phenomenological models. The Lund parton shower model describes the data reasonably well. The multiplicity distributions show approximate KNO-scaling. They also show positive forward-backward correlations that are strongest in the central region of rapidity and for particles of opposite charge.

In four-jet events from e+e− →Z0 →multihadrons one can separate the three principal contributions from the triple-gluon vertex, double gluon-bremsstrahlung and the secondary quark-antiquark production, using the shape of the two-dimensional angular distributions in the generalized Nachtmann-Reiter angle θNR∗ and the opening angle of the secondary jets. Thus one can identify directly the contribution from the triple-gluon vertex without comparison with a specific non-QCD model. Applying this new method to events taken with the DELPHI-detector we get for the ratio of the colour factor Nc to the fermionic Casimir operator CF: NcCF= 2.55 ± 0.55 (stat.) ± 0.4 (fragm. + models) ± 0.2 (error in bias) in agreement with the value 2.25 expected in QCD from Nc=3 and CF=43.

Measurements of the cross section and forward-backward asymmetry for the reaction e+e- --> mu+mu- using the DELPHI detector at LEP are presented. The data come from a scan around the Z0 peak at seven centre of mass energies, giving a sample of 3858 events in the polar angle region 22-degrees < theta < 158-degrees. From a fit to the cross section for 43-degrees < theta < 137-degrees, a polar angle region for which the absolute efficiency has been determined, the square root of the product of the Z0 --> e+e- and Z0 --> mu+mu- partial widths is determined to be (GAMMA-e-GAMMA-mu)1/2 = 85.0 +/- 0.9 (stat.) +/- 0.8 (syst.) MeV. From this measurement of the partial width, the value of the effective weak mixing angle is determined to be sin2(theta-w) = 0.2267 +/- 0.0037. The ratio of the hadronic to muon pair partial widths is found to be GAMMA-h/GAMMA-mu = 19.89 +/- 0.40 (stat.) +/- 0.19 (syst.). The forward-backward asymmetry at the resonance peak energy E(CMS) = 91.22 GeV is found to be A(FB) = 0.028 +/- 0.020 (stat.) +/- 0.005 (syst.). From a combined fit to the cross section and forward-backward asymmetry data, the products of the electron and muon vector and axial-vector coupling constants are determined to be V(e)V-mu = 0.0024 +/- 0.0015 (stat.) +/- 0.0004 (syst.) and A(e)A-mu = 0.253 +/- 0.003 (stat.) +/- 0.003 (syst.). These results are in good agreement with the expectations of the minimal standard model.

This paper presents an analysis of the multiplicity distributions of charged particles produced inZ 0 hadronic decays in the DELPHI detector. It is based on a sample of 25364 events. The average multiplicity is =20.71±0.04(stat)±0.77(syst) and the dispersionD=6.28±0.03(stat)±0.43(syst). The data are compared with the results at lower energies and with the predictions of phenomenological models. The Lund parton shower model describes the data reasonably well. The multiplicity distributions show approximate KNO-scaling. They also show positive forward-backward correlations that are strongest in the central region of rapidity and for particles of opposite charge.

A search has been made for pairs oade for pairs of scalar quarks (squarks) produced in e+e− annihilations at LEP (s≅Mz0), and decaying into a standard quark and a neutral, non-interacting, stable, massive particle (the lightest supersymmetric particle, LSP). The search has been conducted for differences in the mass of the squark and LSP of 2 GeV/c2 and above. Up squarks with masses below 42 GeV/c2 and down squarks below 43 GeV/c2 were excluded. Six squark flavours degenerate in mass were excluded below 45 GeV/c2.

We present a search for the third generation up type quark t and a possible fourth down type quark b' in hadronic Z0 decays observed in DELPHI at the LEP collider. For any scenario with a decay through the charged current or into a charged Higgs with a mass at least 6 GeV/c2 below the t and 3 GeVc2 below the b' mass, we set a lower limit for the t quark mass at 44.0 GeV/c2 and for the b' mass at 44.5 GeV/c2. For specific scenarios the mass limits are slightly higher, e.g. for charged current decays the limits are 44.5 and 45.0 GeV/c2 respectively, where all limits are given at a 95% confidence level.

Using a data sample corresponding to 10 000 hadronic Z0 decays, we have searched for the production of sleptons and gauginos in the two-prong decays of Z0. No candidate remains after straightforward selections. For neutralinos, we use selection methods developed in our previous search for neutral Higgs particles. The negative results are translated into improved mass limits and parameter constraints on the minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model.