Scaling violation in e +e − fragmentation functions: QCD evolution, hadronization and heavy quark mass effects

Abstract

Test of QCD in the process e +e − → hX, where h is any hadron species, or any charged hadron, are proposed, concentrating on the following topics: decomposition of the total inclusive cross section into transverse, longitudinal and asymmetric parts; extraction of the gluon fragmentation function from the longitudinal part; flavour sum rules for the asymmetric part; power corrections due to quark masses and hadronization; measurement of α s from a next-to-leading order analysis of scaling violation. We conclude that a number of novel tests can be performed using the very high statistics available at LEP, and that a comparison between LEP and lower-energy data, together with information on heavy quark fragmentation and some model-dependent assumptions about hadronization, could provide a useful measurement of α s.