Measurements of Flavour Dependent Fragmentation Functions in Z^0 -> qq(bar) Events

TL;DR

This paper presents measurements of flavor-dependent fragmentation functions in Z^0 -> qq̄ events, revealing differences in the fragmentation patterns for bottom, charm, and light quarks based on data from the OPAL detector at LEP.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed measurements of fragmentation functions for different quark flavors in Z^0 decays, including the x positions of their distributions.

Findings

B quark fragmentation is significantly softer than uds quarks.

Distinct x positions for , c, and b quark fragmentation functions.

Data covers events recorded between 1990 and 1995 at LEP.

Abstract

Fragmentation functions for charged particles in Z -> qq(bar) events have been measured for bottom (b), charm (c) and light (uds) quarks as well as for all flavours together. The results are based on data recorded between 1990 and 1995 using the OPAL detector at LEP. Event samples with different flavour compositions were formed using reconstructed D* mesons and secondary vertices. The \xi_p = ln(1/x_E) distributions and the position of their maxima \xi_max are also presented separately for uds, c and b quark events. The fragmentation function for b quarks is significantly softer than for uds quarks.