The azimuthal correlation angle, $\Delta\phi$, between the scattered lepton and the leading jet in deep inelastic $e^{\pm}p$ scattering at HERA has been studied using data collected with the ZEUS detector at a centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s} = 318 \;\mathrm{GeV}$, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $326 \;\mathrm{pb}^{-1}$. A measurement of jet cross sections in the laboratory frame was made in a fiducial region corresponding to photon virtuality $10 \;\mathrm{GeV}^2 < Q^2 < 350 \;\mathrm{GeV}^2$, inelasticity $0.04 < y < 0.7$, outgoing lepton energy $E_e > 10 \;\mathrm{GeV}$, lepton polar angle $140^\circ < \theta_e < 180^\circ$, jet transverse momentum $2.5 \;\mathrm{GeV} < p_\mathrm{T,jet} < 30 \;\mathrm{GeV}$, and jet pseudorapidity $-1.5 < \eta_\mathrm{jet} < 1.8$. Jets were reconstructed using the $k_\mathrm{T}$ algorithm with the radius parameter $R = 1$. The leading jet in an event is defined as the jet that carries the highest $p_\mathrm{T,jet}$. Differential cross sections, $d\sigma/d\Delta\phi$, were measured as a function of the azimuthal correlation angle in various ranges of leading-jet transverse momentum, photon virtuality and jet multiplicity. Perturbative calculations at $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^2)$ accuracy successfully describe the data within the fiducial region, although a lower level of agreement is observed near $\Delta\phi \rightarrow \pi$ for events with high jet multiplicity, due to limitations of the perturbative approach in describing soft phenomena in QCD. The data are equally well described by Monte Carlo predictions that supplement leading-order matrix elements with parton showering.
<b>Note: in the paper, uncertainties are given in relative terms. The HEPData table contains absolute numbers. The original data file, containing relative uncertainties as in the paper, is available via the 'Resources' button above.</b> Inclusive measurement of the differential cross sections, $d\sigma/d\Delta\phi$, as obtained from the data, ARIADNE MC simulations, and perturbative calculations at $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s})$ and $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{2})$ accuracy. The effect of initial- and final-state radiation has been corrected in data, based on a simulation study performed in the RAPGAP framework. The quantities $\delta_\mathrm{stat}$ and $\delta_\mathrm{syst}$ represent the statistical and systematic uncertainties relative to the central value, respectively. The uncertainty in the luminosity measurement ($1.9\%$) is not included in these values. The quantities $\delta(\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{k}))$ represent the combined uncertainty of the scale dependence in the calculation and the model dependence in the hadronisation correction in the $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{k})$ calculations.
<b>Note: in the paper, uncertainties are given in relative terms. The HEPData table contains absolute numbers. The original data file, containing relative uncertainties as in the paper, is available via the 'Resources' button above.</b> Differential cross sections, $d\sigma/d\Delta\phi$, in the $p_{T,jet}^{lead}$ region of $2.5 \;\mathrm{GeV} < p_{T,jet}^{lead} < 7 \;\mathrm{GeV}$ for $N_{jet} \geq 1$, as obtained from the data, ARIADNE MC simulations, and perturbative calculations at $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s})$ and $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{2})$ accuracy. Other details are as in the caption to Table 1.
<b>Note: in the paper, uncertainties are given in relative terms. The HEPData table contains absolute numbers. The original data file, containing relative uncertainties as in the paper, is available via the 'Resources' button above.</b> Differential cross sections, $d\sigma/d\Delta\phi$, in the $p_{T,jet}^{lead}$ region of $2.5 \;\mathrm{GeV} < p_{T,jet}^{lead} < 7 \;\mathrm{GeV}$ for $N_{jet} \geq 2$, as obtained from the data, ARIADNE MC simulations, and perturbative calculations at $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s})$ and $\mathcal{O}(\alpha_{s}^{2})$ accuracy. Other details are as in the caption to Table 1.