Skip to main content
Log in

Search for unstable heavy and excited leptons in e+e collisions at ∝s = 170-172 GeV

  • Published:
The European Physical Journal C Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We have searched for unstable neutral and charged heavy leptons, N and L±, and for excited states of neutral and charged leptons, ν* e*, μ* and τ*, in e+e collisions at centre-of-mass energies of 170 and 172 GeV using the OPAL detector at LEP. No evidence for their existence was found. From the analysis of charged-current decays of pair-produced unstable heavy leptons, and of charged-current and photonic decays of pair-produced excited leptons, lower limits on their masses are derived. From the analysis of charged-current and photonic decays of singly-produced excited leptons, upper limits on the ratio of the coupling to the compositeness scale, ϕ/λ, are determined for masses up to the kinematic limit.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. “Review of Particle Physics” R.M. Barnett et al., Phys. Rev. D54 (1996)

  2. A. Djouadi, D. Schaile, C. Verzegnassi, et al., Report of the Working Group “Extended Gauge Models” in Proceedings of the Workshop “e+e Collisions at 500 GeV: The Physics Potential”, P. Zerwas, (ed.) Report DESY 92-123A+B

  3. ALEPH Collaboration, D. Decamp et al., Phys. Lett. B236 (1990) 511;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. OPAL Collaboration, M.Z. Akrawy et al., Phys. Lett. B240 (1990) 250;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. OPAL Collaboration, M.Z. Akrawy et al., Phys. Lett. B247 (1990) 448;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. L3 Collaboration, B. Adeva et al., Phys. Lett. B251 (1990) 3;

    Google Scholar 

  7. DELPHI Collaboration, P. Abreu et al., Phys. Lett. B274 (1992) 230

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. OPAL Collaboration, G. Alexander et al., Phys. Lett. B385 (1996) 433

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  9. L3 Collaboration, M. Acciarri et al., Phys. Lett. B377 (1996) 304;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. ALEPH Collaboration, D. Buskulic et al., Phys. Lett. B384 (1996) 439

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. OPAL Collaboration, K. Ackerstaff et al., Phys. Lett. B393 (1997) 217

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. L3 Collaboration, M. Acciarri et al., “Search for Heavy Neutral and Charged Leptons in e+e Annihilation at\(\sqrt s = 161\) and 172 GeV”, CERN-PPE/97-75, submitted to Phys. Lett. B

  13. OPAL Collaboration, M.Z. Akrawy et al., Phys. Lett. B257 (1990) 531;

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. ALEPH Collaboration, D. Decamp et al., Phys. Lett. B250 (1990) 172;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. DELPHI Collaboration, P. Abreu et al., Z. Phys. C53 (1992) 41;

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. L3 Collaboration, M. Acciarri et al., Phys. Lett. B353 (1995) 136

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. OPAL Collaboration, G. Alexander et al., Phys. Lett. B386 (1996) 463

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. L3 Collaboration, M. Acciarri et al., Phys. Lett. B370 (1996) 211;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  19. DELPHI Collaboration, P. Abreu et al., Phys. Lett. B380 (1996) 480;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. ALEPH Collaboration, D. Buskulic et al., Phys. Lett. B385 (1996) 445

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  21. OPAL Collaboration, K. Ackerstaff et al., Phys. Lett. B391 (1997) 197

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  22. DELPHI Collaboration, P. Abreu et al., Phys. Lett. B393 (1997) 245;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  23. L3 Collaboration, M. Acciarri et al., Phys. Lett. B401 (1997) 139

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  24. Hl Collaboration, I. Abt et al., Nucl. Phys. B396 (1993) 3;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  25. ZEUS Collaboration, M. Derrick et al., Z. Phys. C65 (1994) 627

    Google Scholar 

  26. OPAL Collaboration, G. Alexander et al., Phys. Lett. B377 (1996) 222

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  27. OPAL Collaboration, K. Ackerstaff et al., Phys. Lett. B391 (1997) 221;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  28. OPAL Collaboration, K. Ackerstaff et al., “Tests of the Standard Model and Constraints on New Physics from Measurements of Fermion-pair Production at 130–172 GeV at LEP”, CERN-PPE/97-101, submitted to Eur. J. Phys. C

  29. A. Djouadi, Z. Phys. C63 (1994) 317, and references therein

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  30. E. Nardi, E. Roulet and D. Tommasini, Phys. Lett. B344 (1995) 225

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  31. F. Boudjema, A. Djouadi and J.L. Kneur, Z. Phys. C57 (1993) 425

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  32. OPAL Collaboration, K. Ahmet et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. A305 (1991) 275;

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  33. P.P. Allport et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. A324 (1993) 34;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  34. P.P. Allport et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. A346 (1994) 476;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  35. B.E. Anderson et al., IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.41 (1994) 845

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  36. J.H. Kühn, A. Reiter and P.M. Zerwas, Nucl. Phys. B272 (1986) 560

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  37. T. Sjöstrand, Comp. Phys. Comm. 82 (1994) 74

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  38. S. Jadach, W. Placzek and B.F.L. Ward, Phys. Lett. B390 (1997) 298

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  39. D. Karlen, Nucl. Phys. B289 (1987) 23

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  40. S. Jadach, B.F.L. Ward and Z. Was, Comp. Phys. Comm.79 (1994) 503

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  41. G. Marchesini et al., Comp. Phys. Comm.67 (1992) 465

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  42. R. Engel and J. Ranft, Phys. Rev. D54 (1996) 4244

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  43. R. Bhattacharya, J. Smith and G. Grammer, Phys. Rev. D15 (1977) 3267;

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  44. J. Smith, J.A.M. Vermaseren and G. Grammer, Phys. Rev.D15 (1977) 3280

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  45. J. Hilgart, R. Kleiss and F. Le Diberder, Comp. Phys. Comm.75 (1993) 191

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  46. F.A. Berends, R. Pittau and R. Kleiss, Comp. Phys. Comm.85 (1995) 437

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  47. J. Fujimoto et al., Comp. Phys. Comm.100 (1996) 128

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  48. F.A. Berends and R. Kleiss, Nucl. Phys. B186 (1981) 22

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  49. G. Montagna et al., Nucl. Phys. B452 (1995) 161

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  50. J. Allison et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. A317 (1992) 47

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  51. OPAL Collaboration, M.Z. Akrawy et al., Phys. Lett. B253 (1990) 511

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  52. N. Brown and W.J. Stirling, Phys. Lett. B252 (1990) 657;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  53. S. Bethke, Z. Kunszt, D. Soper and W.J. Stirling, Nucl. Phys. B370 (1992) 310;

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  54. S. Catani et al., Nucl. Phys. B269 (1991) 432;

    Google Scholar 

  55. N. Brown and W. J. Stirling, Z. Phys. C53 (1992) 629

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  56. OPAL Collaboration, R. Akers et al., Phys. Lett. B327 (1994) 411

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  57. OPAL Collaboration, K. Ackerstaff et al., “Search for Anomalous Production of Photonic Events with Missing Energy in e+e Collisions at ∝s = 130–172 GeV”, accepted by Eur. Phys. J. C

  58. OPAL Collaboration, G. Alexander et al., Z. Phys.C52 (1991) 175

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  59. M. Hauschild et al., Nucl. Instr. and Meth. A314 (1992) 74

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  60. OPAL Collaboration, P. Acton et al., Z. Phys. C58 (1993) 523

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  61. R.D. Cousins and V.L. Highland, Nucl. Instr. Meth. A320 (1992) 331

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  62. Formulae 28.40 in [1]

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Consortia

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

OPAL Collaboration., Ackerstaff, K., Alexander, G. et al. Search for unstable heavy and excited leptons in e+e collisions at ∝s = 170-172 GeV. Eur. Phys. J. C 1, 45–64 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245797

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01245797

Keywords

Navigation