We have measured inclusive distributions for charged particles in hadronic decays of the Z boson. The variables chosen for study were the mean charged-particle multiplicity ({l angle} n{sub ch} {r angle}), scaled momentum (x), and momenta transverse to the sphericity axes (p(up tack){sub in} and p(up tack){sub out}). The distributions have been corrected for detector effects and are compared with data from ee− annihilation at lower energies and with the predictions of several QCD-based models. The data are in reasonable agreement with expectations. 12 refs., 2 figs.

We have studied hadronic final states produced in the decays of Z bosons using the Mark II detector at SLC. We have measured the distributions of global shape parameters, inclusive charged particle distributions, charge particle multiplicity and jet multiplicity. The results are compared to predictions of QCD-based models optimized at the PEP energy. The data and models agree within the present statistical precision. We have also investigated a new method to determine the QCD scale parameter [Lambda]{sub {ovr MS}} using differential jet multiplicity. 9 refs., 5 figs.

We present a preliminary study of correlations in rapidity between pairs of identified charged pions, kaons and protons in the SLD data. Details of short-range charge correlations between all combinations of these hadron species are used to study the locality of quantum number conservation, and suggest local charge ordering along the entire hadronization chain. A strong long-range K[sup+]K[sup -] correlation is observed at high-momentum and weaker long-range[pi][sup+]-[pi][sup -], [pi][sup+]-K[sup -] and p-K[sup -] correlations are observed in light flavor events, providing new information on leading particle production in u, d and s jets. The long-range correlations observed in c[bar c] and b[bar b] events are markedly different and consistent with expectations based on known decay properties of the leading heavy hadrons. The SLC electron beam polarization is used to tag the quark hemisphere in each event, allowing the first study of rapidities signed relative to the quark (vs. antiquark) direction. Distributions of ordered, signed rapidity differences provide a new probes of the fragmentation process, including the first direct observation of baryon number ordering along the q[yields][bar q] axis.

We present preliminary evidence for leading particle production in hadronic decays of the Z[sup 0] to light quark pairs using 150,000 events recorded in the SLD experiment at SLAC. The highly polarized electron beam produced by the SLC is used to tag quark and antiquark jets, and a signed impact parameter technique is employed to reject heavy flavor events. Charged hadrons are identified in the SLD Cherenkov Ring Imaging Detector (CRID) and[Lambda]/[bar[Lambda]] are reconstructed using their charged decay modes. In a high purity sample of quark jets, the baryon momentum spectrum is harder that that of the antibaryon, and conversely for a sample of antiquark jets, supporting the hypothesis that the faster particles in jets are more likely to carry the primary quark or antiquark from the Z[sup 0] decay. Similarly, more high momentum K[sup -] that K[sup+] are observed in quark jets and conversely for antiquark jets, consistent with the hypothesis that leading K[sup[+-]] are produced predominantly in s[bar s] events rather than[ital u][bar[ital u]] events.

The authors have measured the differential cross sections for the production of[pi][sup[+-]], K[sup[+-]], K[sup 0], K*(892), [phi](1,020), p and[Lambda] in hadronic Z[sup 0] decays and in subsets of flavor-tagged Z[sup 0][yields] light quark (u[anti u], d[anti d], or s[anti s]), Z[sup 0][yields] c[anti c] and Z[sup 0][yields] b[anti b] events. Charged hadrons were identified with the SLD Cherenkov ring imaging detector. The vertex detector was employed to select flavor enriched samples and the polarized electron beam from SLC was used to tag quark and anti-quark jets. The authors observe a flavor dependence in the hadron fragmentation functions. The authors present evidence for leading particle production in hadronic decays of the Z[sup 0] boson to light-flavor jets and a direct measurement of the strangeness suppression factor[gamma][sub s].