Abstract
The average b hadron lifetime, τb, has been measured using approximately 3.5 million hadronic events collected with the OPAL detector at LEP between 1991 and 1994. A lifetime tag based on a neural network algorithm was used to select Z0 → bb̄ events. A secondary vertex reconstructed on the opposite side from the b-tag was used to measure the b hadron decay length. This was combined with an estimate of the b hadron momentum, allowing the b hadron decay time to be evaluated. The lifetime, τb = 1.611 ± 0.010 (stat) ± 0.027 (syst) ps , was extracted from a fit involving the distribution of the 95620 decay times reconstructed in the data and the corresponding distribution in Monte Carlo.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 397-408 |
Number of pages | 12 |
Journal | Zeitschrift fur Physik C-Particles and Fields |
Volume | 73 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 1997 |
Externally published | Yes |
Funding
Acknowledgements. We particularly wish to thank the SL Division for the efficient operation of the LEP accelerator and for their continuing close cooperation with our experimental group. In addition to the support staff at our own institutions we are pleased to acknowledge the Department of Energy, USA, National Science Foundation, USA, Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, UK, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canada, Israel Science Foundation, administered by the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities, Minerva Gesellschaft, Japanese Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (the Monbusho) and a grant under the Monbusho International Science Research Program, German Israeli Bi-national Science Foundation (GIF), Direction des Sciences de la Matière du Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique, France, Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Germany, National Research Council of Canada, Hungarian Foundation for Scientific Research, OTKA T-016660, and OTKA F-015089.
Funders | Funder number |
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Direction des Sciences de la Matière du Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique | |
German Israeli Bi-national Science Foundation | |
Hungarian Foundation for Scientific Research | OTKA F-015089, OTKA T-016660 |
Minerva Gesellschaft | |
National Science Foundation | |
U.S. Department of Energy | |
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | |
National Research Council Canada | |
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology | |
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung | |
Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities | |
Israel Science Foundation |