Production of charged particles, KS0, K±, p and Λ in Z → bb events and in the decay of b hadrons

A sample of events enriched in bb̄ quark pairs was selected in the data recorded by the DELPHI experiment at LEP during 1992 and 1993, by the presence of secondary decay vertices from short-lived particles. Using this sample, the average multiplicities of Ks0, K±, p(p̄), Λ(Λ) and of charged particles in bb̄ events have been measured, distinguishing the component from fragmentation and the component coming from the decay of b-hadrons. The measurement of the average charge multiplicity in bb̄ events was used to compute the mean fractional beam energy carried by the primary b-hadron, and the difference in charged particle multiplicity between bb̄ events and light quark (uū, dd̄, ss̄) events.