Search for heavy stable and long-lived particles in e+e- collisions at sqrt(s) = 189 GeV

A search for stable and long-lived heavy charged particles was performed using the data taken by the DELPHIexperiment at an energy of 189 GeV. The Cherenkov light detected in the Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detectorand the ionisation loss measured in the Time Projection Chamberwere used to identify heavy particles passing through the detector. No evidence for the production of such particles has been found, therefore exclusion limits at 95% confidence level were derived on the masses of left and right handed smuons and staus. The results were combined with previous DELPHIsearches in this channel. Including previous DELPHIresults, masses of left (right) handed stable smuons and staus can be excluded between 2 GeV/c^2 and 88 (87.5) GeV/c^2 at 95% CL.