Fermion pair production in e + e - collisions at 189–209 GeV and constraints on physics beyond the standard model

Cross sections, angular distributions and forward-backward asymmetries are presented, of two-fermion events produced in e+e- collisions at centre-of-mass energies from 189 to 209 GeV at LEP, measured with the ALEPH detector. Results for e+e-, μ+μ-, τ+τ-, qq, bb and cc production are in agreement with the standard model predictions. Constraints are set on scenarios of new physics such as four-fermion contact interactions, leptoquarks, Z′ bosons, TeV-scale quantum gravity and R-parity violating squarks and sneutrinos.