Spin correlations in $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to 4jets$

Abstract

Existence of discrepancies between experimental data and Monte Carlo predictions for angular distributions in four-jet production via $e^{+}{e}^{-}$ annihilation has been known for some time at LEP1. As such QCD processes constitute significant backgrounds to $e^{+}{e}^{-}\to W^{+}{W}^{-}\to 4$-jet production at LEP2, we consider the possibility that an erroneous modelling of the helicity structure of the final-state partons could affect the accuracy of experimental measurements of the $W^{\pm }$ boson parameters

33 pages, latex, epsfig, 8 figures (bitmapped at 75dpi, full paper at high resolution available at http://www.hep.phy.cam.ac.uk/theory/papers/), discussion made more quantitative, final version to appear in Eur. Phys. J. C