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Measurement of the charged particle multiplicity distribution in hadronic Z decays

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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  • ALEPH Collaboration
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>1991
<mark>Journal</mark>Physics Letters B
Issue number1-2
Volume273
Number of pages12
Pages (from-to)181-192
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

The charged particle multiplicity distribution of hadronic Z decays was measured on the peak of the Z resonance using the ALEPH detector at LEP. Using a model independent unfolding procedure the distribution was found to have a mean 〈n〉=20.85±0.24 and a dispersion D=6.34±0.12. Comparison with lower energy data supports the KNO scaling hypothesis in the energy range GeV. At GeV the shape of the multiplicity distribution is well described by a log-normal distribution, as predicted from a cascading model for multi-particle production. The same model also successfully describes the energy dependence of the mean and width of the multiplicity distribution. A next-to-leading order QCD prediction in the framework of the modified leading-log approximation and local parton-hadron duality is found to fit the energy dependence of the mean but not the width of the charged multiplicity distribution, indicating that the width of the multiplicity distribution is a sensitive probe for higher order QCD or non-perturbative effects.