Measurements of the cross sections for open chasm and beauty production in γγ collisions at √s=189-202 GeV

The production of c and b quarks gamma gamma collisions is studied with the L3 detector at LEP with 410 pb(-1) of data, collected at centre-of-mass energies from 189 GeV to 202 GeV. Hadronic final states containing c and b quarks are identified by detecting electrons or muons from their semileptonic decays. The cross sections sigma (e(+)e(-) --> e(+)e(-)c (c) over barX) and sigma (e(+)e(-) --> e(+)e(-)b (b) over barX) are measured and compared to next-to-leading order perturbative QCD calculations. The cross section of b production is measured in gamma gamma collisions for the first time. It is in excess of the QCD prediction by a factor of three. (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.