Forward jet production in deep inelastic ep scattering and low-x parton dynamics at HERA

Differential inclusive jet cross sections in neutral current deep inelastic ep scattering have been measured with the ZEUS detector. Three phase-space regions have been selected in order to study parton dynamics where the effects of BFKL evolution might be present. The measurements have been compared to the predictions of leading-logarithm parton shower Monte Carlo models and fixed-order perturbative QCD calculations. In the forward region, QCD calculations at order alpha_s^1 underestimate the data up to an order of magnitude at low x. An improved description of the data in this region is obtained by including QCD corrections at order alpha_s^2, which account for the lowest-order t-channel gluon-exchange diagrams, highlighting the importance of such terms in parton dynamics at low x.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figure

Measurement of dijet photoproduction for events with a leading neutron at HERA

Differential cross sections for dijet photoproduction and this process in association with a leading neutron, e+ + p -> e+ + jet + jet + X (+ n), have been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 40 pb-1. The fraction of dijet events with a leading neutron was studied as a function of different jet and event variables. Single- and double-differential cross sections are presented as a function of the longitudinal fraction of the proton momentum carried by the leading neutron, xL, and of its transverse momentum squared, pT^2. The dijet data are compared to inclusive DIS and photoproduction results; they are all consistent with a simple pion-exchange model. The neutron yield as a function of xL was found to depend only on the fraction of the proton beam energy going into the forward region, independent of the hard process. No firm conclusion can be drawn on the presence of rescattering effects.Comment: 40 pages, 18 figure

Measurement of charm fragmentation fractions in photoproduction at HERA

The production of D 0, D *+, D +, Ds + and Λc + charm hadrons and their antiparticles in ep scattering at HERA has been studied with the ZEUS detector, using a total integrated luminosity of 372 pb-1. The fractions of charm quarks hadronising into a particular charm hadron were derived. In addition, the ratio of neutral to charged D-meson production rates, the fraction of charged D mesons produced in a vector state, and the stangeness-suppression factor have been determined. The measurements have been performed in the photoproduction regime. The charm hadrons were reconstructed in the range of transverse momentum p T > 3.8 GeV and pseudorapidity |η| < 1.6. The charm fragmentation fractions are compared to previous results from HERA and from e + e - experiments. The data support the hypothesis that fragmentation is independent of the production process. © 2013 SISSA

Multiplicity moments in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

Multiplicity moments of charged particles in deep inelastic e(+) p scattering have been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 38.3 pb(-1). The moments for Q(2) gt 1000 GeV2 were studied in the current region of the Breit frame. The evolution of the moments was investigated as a function of restricted regions in polar angle and, for the first time, both in the transverse momentum and in absolute momentum of final-state particles. Analytic perturbative QCD predictions in conjunction with the hypothesis of Local Parton- Hadron Duality (LPHD) reproduce the trends of the moments in polar-angle regions, although some discrepancies are observed. For the moments restricted either in transverse or absolute momentum, the analytic results combined with the LPHD hypothesis show considerable deviations from the measurements. The study indicates a large influence of the hadronisation stage on the multiplicity distributions in the restricted phase-space regions studied here, which is inconsistent with the expectations of the LPHD hypothesis

Search for QCD-instanton induced events in deep inelastic ep scattering at HERA

A search for QCD-instanton-induced events in deep inelastic ep scattering has been performed with the ZEUS detector at the HERA collider, using data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb(-1). A kinematic range defined by cuts on the photon virtuality, Q(2) gt 120 GeV2, and on the Bjorken scaling variable, x gt 10(-3), has been investigated. The QCD- instanton induced events were modelled by the Monte Carlo generator QCDINS. A background-independent, conservative 95% confidence level upper limit for the instanton cross section of 26 pb is obtained, to be compared with the theoretically expected value of 8.9 pb

Search for contact interactions, large extra dimensions and finite quark radius in ep collisions at HERA

A search for physics beyond the Standard Model has been performed with high-Q(2) neutral current deep inelastic scattering events recorded with the ZEUS detector at HERA. Two data sets, e(+) p → e(+) X and e(-) p → e(-) X, with respective integrated luminosities of 112 pb(-1) and 16 pb(-1), were analyzed. The data reach Q(2) values as high as 40000 GeV2. No significant deviations from Standard Model predictions were observed. Limits were derived on the effective mass scale in eeqq contact interactions. the ratio of leptoquark mass to the Yukawa coupling for heavy leptoquark models and the mass scale parameter in models with large extra dimensions. The limit on the quark charge radius, in the classical form factor approximation, is 0.85 x 10(-16) cm

Measurement of beauty production in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

The beauty production cross section for deep inelastic scattering events with at least one hard jet in the Breit frame together with a union has been measured, for photon virtualities Q(2) gt 2 GeV2, with the ZEUS detector at HERA using integrated luminosity of 72 pb(-1) The total visible cross section is sigma(bb)- (ep → e jet muX) = 40.9 +/- 5.7 (stat.) (+6.0)(-4.4) (syst) pb. The next-to- leading order QCD prediction lies about 2.5 standard deviations below the data. The differential cross sections are in general consistent with the NLO QCD predictions; however at low values of Q(2), Bjorken x, and muon transverse momentum, and high values of jet transverse energy and muon pseudorapidity, the prediction is about two standard deviations below the data. (C) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.

Measurement of dijet production in neutral current deep inelastic scattering at high Q(2) and determination of alpha(s)

Dijet production has been studied in neutral current deep inelastic e(+)p scattering for 470 lt Q(2) lt 20000 GeV2 with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 38.4 pb(-1). Dijet differential cross sections are presented in a kinematic region where both theoretical and experimental uncertainties are small. Next-to-leading-order (NLO) QCD calculations describe the measured differential cross sections well. A QCD analysis of the measured dijet fraction as a function of Q(2) allows both a precise determination of alpha (s)(M-z) and a test of the energy-scale dependence of the strong coupling constant. A detailed analysis provides an improved estimate of the uncertainties of the NLO QCD cross sections arising from the parton distribution functions of the proton. The value of cu,(Mz), as determined from the QCD fit, is alpha (s)(M-z) = 0.1166 +/- 0.0019(stat.)(- 0.0033)(+0.0024)(exp.)(-0.0044)(+0.0057)(th.)

Scaled momentum spectra in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

Charged particle production has been studied in neutral current deep inelastic ep scattering with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 0.44 fb(-1). Distributions of scaled momenta in the Breit frame are presented for particles in the current fragmentation region. The evolution of these spectra with the photon virtuality, Q(2), is described in the kinematic region 10 < Q(2) < 41000 Ge V-2. Next-to-leading-order and modified leading-log-approximation QCD calculations as well as predictions from Monte Carlo models are compared to the data. The results are also compared to e(+)e(-) annihilation data. The dependences of the pseudorapidity distribution of the particles on Q(2) and on the energy in the gamma p system, W, are presented and interpreted in the context of the hypothesis of limiting fragmentation

Production of Z⁰ bosons in elastic and quasi-elastic <i>ep</i> collisions at HERA

The production of Z&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt; bosons in the reaction ep→eZ&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt;p&lt;sup&gt;(⁎)&lt;/sup&gt;, where p&lt;sup&gt;(⁎)&lt;/sup&gt; stands for a proton or a low-mass nucleon resonance, has been studied in &lt;i&gt;ep&lt;/i&gt; collisions at HERA using the ZEUS detector. The analysis is based on a data sample collected between 1996 and 2007, amounting to 496 pb&lt;sup&gt;−1&lt;/sup&gt; of integrated luminosity. The Z&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt; was measured in the hadronic decay mode. The elasticity of the events was ensured by a cut on ηmax&lt;3.0, where η&lt;sub&gt;max&lt;/sub&gt; is the maximum pseudorapidity of energy deposits in the calorimeter defined with respect to the proton beam direction. A signal was observed at the Z&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt; mass. The cross section of the reaction ep→ eZ&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt;p&lt;sup&gt;(⁎)&lt;/sup&gt; was measured to be σ(ep→ eZ&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt;p&lt;sup&gt;(⁎)&lt;/sup&gt;)=0.13±0.06(stat.)±0.01(syst.) pb, in agreement with the Standard Model prediction of 0.16 pb. This is the first measurement of Z&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt; production in &lt;i&gt;ep&lt;/i&gt; collisions