Search for Single Leptoquark Production in Electron-Photon Scattering at $\sqrt{s}$ = 161 and 172 GeV

A search for a first generation scalar leptoquark (LQ) has been performed using the data collected by the OPAL detector in 1996 at e+e- centre-of-mass energies sqrt{s} of 161 and 172 GeV. It is assumed that a single leptoquark can be produced in the process eq->LQ, where the initial state quark originates from a hadronic fluctuation of a quasi-real photon which has been radiated by one of the LEP beams. Lower limits at the 95 % confidence level on the mass of a first generation scalar leptoquark of 131 GeV for beta=0.5 and beta=1, coupling values lambda larger than sqrt{4*pi*alpha_em) and leptoquark charges -1/3 or -5/3 are obtained.