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Direct observation of longitudinally polarised W±...
Journal article

Direct observation of longitudinally polarised W± bosons

Abstract

The three different helicity states of W± bosons, produced in the reaction e+e−→W+W−→ℓνqq̄ are studied using leptonic and hadronic W decays at s=183 GeV and 189 GeV. The W polarisation is also measured as a function of the scattering angle between the W− and the direction of the e− beam. The analysis demonstrates that W bosons are produced with all three helicities, the longitudinal and the two transverse states. Combining the results from the two center-of-mass energies and with leptonic and hadronic W decays, the fraction of longitudinally polarised W± bosons is measured to be 0.261 ± 0.051(stat.) ± 0.016(syst.) in agreement with the expectation from the Standard Model.

Authors

Collaboration L; Acciarri M; Achard P; Adriani O; Aguilar-Benitez M; Alcaraz J; Alemanni G; Allaby J; Aloisio A; Alviggi MG

Journal

Physics Letters B, Vol. 474, No. 1-2, pp. 194–204

Publisher

Elsevier

Publication Date

February 10, 2000

DOI

10.1016/s0370-2693(99)01489-6

ISSN

0370-2693
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