Inclusive neutral vector meson production in hadronic Z0 decays

Results are reported of a study of neutral vector meson production in multihadronic Z0 decays in the OPAL experiment at LEP. Pions and kaons have been identified by specific ionisation energy loss and K±π± and K+K- mass spectra have been fitted, in bins of the scaled momentum variable xρ, to combinations of resonance signals and non-resonant backgrounds. Rates are given for K*(892)0 and φ (1020), and production cross sections are compared to the predictions of Monte Carlo models. Overall multiplicities have been determined as 0.76±0.07±0.06 K*(892)0 and 0.086±0.015±0.010 φ (1020) per hadronic Z0 decay (the quoted errors are respectively statistical and systematic). Momentum dependent distortions of the ππ mass spectra, possibly associated indirectly with Bose-Einstein effects, have prevented reliable measurement of the ρ(770)0 cross section in this study. (orig.)