The cross section for the diffractive deep-inelastic scattering process $ep \to e X p$ is measured, with the leading final state proton detected in the H1 Forward Proton Spectrometer. The data analysed cover the range \xpom <0.1 in fractional proton longitudinal momentum loss, 0.08 < |t| < 0.5 GeV^{-2} in squared four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex, 2 < Q^2 < 50 GeV^2 in photon virtuality and 0.004 < \beta = x / \xpom < 1, where x is the Bjorken scaling variable. For $\xpom \lapprox 10^{-2}$, the differential cross section has a dependence of approximately ${\rm d} \sigma / {\rm d} t \propto e^{6 t}$, independently of \xpom, \beta and Q^2 within uncertainties. The cross section is also measured triple differentially in \xpom, \beta and Q^2. The \xpom dependence is interpreted in terms of an effective pomeron trajectory with intercept $\alpha_{\pom}(0)=1.114 \pm 0.018 ({\rm stat.}) \pm 0.012 ({\rm syst.}) ^{+0.040}_{-0.020} ({\rm model})$ and a sub-leading exchange. The data are in good agreement with an H1 measurement for which the event selection is based on a large gap in the rapidity distribution of the final state hadrons, after accounting for proton dissociation contributions in the latter. Within uncertainties, the dependence of the cross section on x and Q^2 can thus be factorised from the dependences on all studied variables which characterise the proton vertex, for both the pomeron and the sub-leading exchange.

New data are presented on charged particle multiplicity distributions for non single-diffractive events produced at CM energies s = 200 and 900 GeV . The data were obtained at the CERN antiproton-proton collider operated in a new pulsed mode. The multiplicity distributions are very well described by a negative binomial distribution. The highest energy data show no sign of approaching scaling, confirming our earlier results on the breaking of KNO scaling. The energy variation of the average charged multiplicity can be fitted to a quadratic in ln s or a s 0.13 dependence.

We have studied hadronic events produced at LEP at a centre-of-mass energy of 161 GeV. We present distributions of event shape variables, jet rates, charged particle momentum spectra and multiplicities. We determine the strong coupling strength to be αs(161 GeV) = 0.101±0.005(stat.)±0.007(syst.), the mean charged particle multiplicity to be 〈nch〉(161 GeV) = 24.46 ± 0.45(stat.) ± 0.44(syst.) and the position of the peak in the ξp = ln(1/xp) distribution to be ξ0(161 GeV) = 4.00 ±0.03(stat.)±0.04(syst.). These results are compared to data taken at lower centre-of-mass energies and to analytic QCD or Monte Carlo predictions. Our measured value of αs(161 GeV) is consistent with other measurements of αs. Within the current statistical and systematic uncertainties, the PYTHIA, HERWIG and ARIADNE QCD Monte Carlo models and analytic calculations are in overall agreement with our measurements. The COJETS QCD Monte Carlo is in general agreement with the data for momentum weighted distributions like Thrust, but predicts a significantly larger charged particle multiplicity than is observed experimentally.

We have studied hadronic events produced at LEP at centre-of-mass energies of 130 and 136 GeV. Distributions of event shape observables, jet rates, momentum spectra and multiplicities are presented and compared to the predictions of several Monte Carlo models and analytic QCD calculations. From fits of event shape and jet rate distributions to\({\mathcal{O}}(\alpha _s^2 ) + NLLA\) QCD calculations, we determineαs(133 GeV)=0.110±0.005(stat.)±0.009(syst.). We measure the mean charged particle multiplicity 〈nch〉=23.40±0.45(stat.) ±0.47(syst.) and the position ζ0 of the peak in the ζp = ln(1/xp) distribution ζ0=3.94±0.05(stat.)±0.11(syst.). These results are compared to lower energy data and to analytic QCD or Monte Carlo predictions for their energy evolution.

Deep inelastic scattering and its diffractive component, ep -> e'gamma*p ->e'XN, have been studied at HERA with the ZEUS detector using an integrated luminosity of 4.2 pb-1. The measurement covers a wide range in the gamma*p c.m. energy W (37 - 245 GeV), photon virtuality Q2 (2.2 - 80 GeV2) and mass Mx. The diffractive cross section for Mx > 2 GeV rises strongly with W: the rise is steeper with increasing Q2. The latter observation excludes the description of diffractive deep inelastic scattering in terms of the exchange of a single Pomeron. The ratio of diffractive to total cross section is constant as a function of W, in contradiction to the expectation of Regge phenomenology combined with a naive extension of the optical theorem to gamma*p scattering. Above Mx of 8 GeV, the ratio is flat with Q2, indicating a leading-twist behaviour of the diffractive cross section. The data are also presented in terms of the diffractive structure function, F2D(3)(beta,xpom,Q2), of the proton. For fixed beta, the Q2 dependence of xpom F2D(3) changes with xpom in violation of Regge factorisation. For fixed xpom, xpom F2D(3) rises as beta -> 0, the rise accelerating with increasing Q2. These positive scaling violations suggest substantial contributions of perturbative effects in the diffractive DIS cross section.

We have studied hadronic events from e+e- annihilation data at centre-of-mass energies from 91 to 209 GeV. We present distributions of event shape observables and their moments at each energy and compare with QCD Monte Carlo models. From the event shape distributions we extract the strong coupling alpha_s and test its evolution with energy scale. The results are consistent with the running of alpha_s expected from QCD. Combining all data, the value of alpha_s(M_Z) is determined to be alpha_s(M_Z) = 0.1191 +- 0.0005 (stat.) +- 0.0010 (expt.) +- 0.0011 (hadr.) +- 0.0044 (theo.). The energy evolution of the moments is also used to determine a value of alpha_s with slightly larger errors: alpha_s(M_Z) = 0.1223 +- 0.0005 (stat.) +- 0.0014 (expt.) +- 0.0016 (hadr.) +0.0054 -0.0036 (theo.).

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.

The cross section of the diffractive process e^+p -> e^+Xp is measured at a centre-of-mass energy of 318 GeV, where the system X contains at least two jets and the leading final state proton p is detected in the H1 Very Forward Proton Spectrometer. The measurement is performed in photoproduction with photon virtualities Q^2 <2 GeV^2 and in deep-inelastic scattering with 4 GeV^2<Q^2<80 GeV^2. The results are compared to next-to-leading order QCD calculations based on diffractive parton distribution functions as extracted from measurements of inclusive cross sections in diffractive deep-inelastic scattering.

A first measurement is presented of exclusive photoproduction of $\rho^0$ mesons associated with leading neutrons at HERA. The data were taken with the H1 detector in the years $2006$ and $2007$ at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s}=319$ GeV and correspond to an integrated luminosity of $1.16$ pb$^{-1}$. The $\rho^0$ mesons with transverse momenta $p_T<1$ GeV are reconstructed from their decays to charged pions, while leading neutrons carrying a large fraction of the incoming proton momentum, $x_L>0.35$, are detected in the Forward Neutron Calorimeter. The phase space of the measurement is defined by the photon virtuality $Q^2 < 2$ GeV$^2$, the total energy of the photon-proton system $20 < W_{\gamma p} < 100$ GeV and the polar angle of the leading neutron $\theta_n < 0.75$ mrad. The cross section of the reaction $\gamma p \to \rho^0 n \pi^+$ is measured as a function of several variables. The data are interpreted in terms of a double peripheral process, involving pion exchange at the proton vertex followed by elastic photoproduction of a $\rho^0$ meson on the virtual pion. In the framework of one-pion-exchange dominance the elastic cross section of photon-pion scattering, $\sigma^{\rm el}(\gamma\pi^+ \to \rho^0\pi^+)$, is extracted. The value of this cross section indicates significant absorptive corrections for the exclusive reaction $\gamma p\to\rho^0 n \pi^+$.

Cross sections for elastic and proton-dissociative photoproduction of J/psi mesons are measured with the H1 detector in positron-proton collisions at HERA. The data were collected at $ep$ centre-of-mass energies sqrt{s} approx 318 GeV and sqrt{s} approx 225 GeV, corresponding to integrated luminosities of L = 130 pb^{-1} and L = 10.8 pb^{-1}, respectively. The cross sections are measured as a function of the photon-proton centre-of-mass energy in the range 25< Wgp < 110 GeV. Differential cross sections $\mathrm{d}\sigma / \mathrm{d}t$, where $t$ is the squared four-momentum transfer at the proton vertex, are measured in the range $|t| < 1.2 \, \gevsq$ for the elastic process and $|t| < 8 \, \gevsq$ for proton dissociation. The results are compared to other measurements. The $\Wgp$ and $t$-dependences are parametrised using phenomenological fits.