Test of the four-fermion contact interaction in e+e− collisions at 130–140 GeV

• Published in: Physics letters. B 1996-10, Vol.387 (2), p.432-442
• Main Authors: Alexander, G, Allison, J, Anderson, K.J, Anderson, S, Axen, D, Ball, A.H, Bartoldus, R, Bechtluft, J, Beeston, C, Bella, G, Bethke, S, Blobel, V, Boutemeur, M, Braibant, S, Burckhart, H.J, Burgard, C, Charlton, D.G, Cohen, I, Cooke, O.C, Cuffiani, M, Dado, S, do Couto e Silva, E, Duckeck, G, Duerdoth, I.P, Evans, H.G, Fath, P, Fischer, H.M, Folman, R, Foucher, M, Gaidot, A, Geddes, N.I, Giacomelli, R, Goodrick, M.J, Grandi, C, Gruwé, M, Hanson, G.G, Hargrove, C.K, Hart, P.A, Hauschild, M, Hawkes, C.M, Hobson, P.R, Homer, R.J, Hughes-Jones, R.E, Imrie, D.C, Ingram, M.R, Ishii, K, Jimack, M, Jost, U, Kellogg, R.G, King, B.J, Kirk, J, Kobayashi, T, Kobel, M, Komamiya, S, Krieger, P, von Krogh, J, Lanske, D, Lazic, D, Lee, A.M, Levinson, L, Losty, M.J, Markus, C, Martinez, G, Matthews, W, Mckigney, E.A, Menke, S, Montanari, A, Morii, M, Nagai, K, Nellen, B, O'Neale, S.W, Ogren, H.O, Pater, J.R, Patt, J, Poli, B, Rozen, Y, Ruppel, U, Scharff-Hansen, P, Schmitt, B, Schröder, M, Schumacher, M, Schütz, P, Siroli, G.P, Sittler, A, Skillman, A, Snow, G.A, Söldner-Rembold, S, Springer, R.W, Starks, M, Steiert, M, Stephens, K, Strom, D, Talbot, S.D, Tsukamoto, T, Vikas, P, Wäckerle, F, Ward, D.R, Weber, P, Wilkens, B, Wyatt, T.R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0370-2693; 1873-2445
• DOI: 10.1016/0370-2693(96)01156-2

The differential cross-sections for e +e − → e +e −, e +e − → μ + μ − and e +e − → τ + τ −, and the total cross-section for e +e − → qq̄ at centre-of-mass energies of 130–140 GeV were studied using about 5 pb −1 of data collected with the OPAL detector at LEP in October and November 1995. The results are in agreement with the Standard Model predictions. Four-fermion contact interaction models were fitted to the data and lower limits were obtained on the energy scale Λ at the 95% confidence level.