Production of Charged pi, K and p in Hadronic Z0 Decays

TL;DR

This paper reports updated measurements of charged pion, kaon, and proton production in hadronic Z^0 decays, providing precise tests of QCD and fragmentation models across different quark flavors using advanced detector data.

Contribution

It presents new, high-precision data on identified charged hadron production in Z^0 decays, including flavor-specific and jet charge asymmetry analyses, enhancing understanding of fragmentation processes.

Findings

Precise measurements of hadron production rates across flavors.

Differences in hadron and antihadron production at high momentum.

Stringent tests of fragmentation models against experimental data.

Abstract

We have updated our results on identified charged hadron production using the full SLD data sample of 550,000 hadronic Z^0 decays taken between 1993 and 1998. The SLD Cherenkov Ring Imaging Detector allows the identification of clean samples of charged pions, kaons and protons over a wide momentum range, providing precise tests of perturbative QCD calculations and of fragmentation models. We have studied flavor-inclusive Z^0 decays, as well as decays into light, c and b flavors, selected using the SLD vertex detector. In addition we have updated our comparison of hadron and antihadron production in light quark (rather than antiquark) jets, selected using the high SLC electron beam polarization. Differences between hadron and antihadron production at high momentum fraction provide precise measurements of leading particle production and new, stringent tests of fragmentation models.