Multijet rates in e+e- annihilation: perturbation theory versus LEP data

Abstract

We show that the next-to-leading order perturbative prediction, matched with the next-to-leading logarithmic approximation for predicting both two-, three- and four-jet rates using the Durham jet-clustering algorithm, in the 0.001 < ycut < 0.1 range gives a very accurate description of the data obtained at the Large Electron Positron collider. This information can be utilized either for simultaneous measurement of the strong coupling and the QCD colour charges, or for improving the QCD background prediction in new particle searches at LEP2.