Search for invisible Higgs boson decays in e +e − collisions at centre-of-mass energies up to 184 GeV

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In a data sample of 78.3 pb −1 collected in 1996 and 1997 by the ALEPH detector at centre-of-mass energies from 161 to 184 GeV, invisible decays of a Higgs boson have been searched for in the reaction e +e −→hZ, where the Z can decay into e +e −, μ + μ − or q q ̄ . No evidence for a signal is found and limits on the production cross section are derived as a function of the Higgs boson mass. These results are combined with those obtained in an update of the analyses of the ALEPH data taken at LEP 1. For a production cross section equal to that of the minimal standard model Higgs boson, masses below 80 GeV/ c 2 are excluded at 95% C.L.