Inclusive production of $D^*(2010)$ mesons in deep inelastic scattering has been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 81.9 pb$^{-1}$. The decay channel $D^{* +}\to D^0 \pi^+ $ with $D^0\to K^-\pi^+$ and corresponding antiparticle decay were used to identify $D^*$ mesons. Differential $D^*$ cross sections with $1.5<Q^2<1000$ GeV$^2$ and $0.02<y<0.7$ in the kinematic region $1.5<p_T(D^*)<15$ GeV and $|\eta(D^*)|<1.5$ are compared to different QCD calculations incorporating different parameterisations of the parton densities in the proton. The data show sensitivity to the gluon distribution in the proton and are reasonably well described by next-to-leading-order QCD with the ZEUS NLO QCD fit used as the input parton density in the proton. The observed cross section is extrapolated to the full kinematic region in $p_T(D^*)$ and $\eta(D^*)$ in order to determine the open-charm contribution, $F_2^{\rm charm}(x,Q^2)$, to the proton structure function, $F_2$. Since, at low $Q^2$, the uncertainties of the data are comparable to those from the QCD fit, the measured differential cross sections in $y$ and $Q^2$ should be used in future fits to constrain the gluon density.
Overall total cross section. The second DSYS error is due to the uncertainty in the BR for D* and D0 decay.
Measured differential cross section as a function of Q**2.
Measured differential cross section as a function of X.
Measurements of the proton structure function $F_2$ for $0.6 < Q^2 < 17 {GeV}^2$ and $1.2 \times 10^{-5} < x <1.9 \times 10^{-3}$ from ZEUS 1995 shifted vertex data are presented. From ZEUS $F_2$ data the slopes $dF_2/d\ln Q^2$ at fixed $x$ and $d\ln F_2/d\ln(1/x)$ for $x < 0.01$ at fixed $Q^2$ are derived. For the latter E665 data are also used. The transition region in $Q^2$ is explored using the simplest non-perturbative models and NLO QCD. The data at very low $Q^2$ $\leq 0.65 {GeV}^2$ are described successfully by a combination of generalised vector meson dominance and Regge theory. From a NLO QCD fit to ZEUS data the gluon density in the proton is extracted in the range $3\times 10^{-5} < x < 0.7$. Data from NMC and BCDMS constrain the fit at large $x$. Assuming the NLO QCD description to be valid down to $Q^2\sim 1 {GeV}^2$, it is found that the $q\bar{q}$ sea distribution is still rising at small $x$ and the lowest $Q^2$ values whereas the gluon distribution is strongly suppressed.
F2.
F2.
F2.
The DIS diffractive cross section, $d\sigma^{diff}_{\gamma^* p \to XN}/dM_X$, has been measured in the mass range $M_X < 15$ GeV for $\gamma^*p$ c.m. energies $60 < W < 200$ GeV and photon virtualities $Q^2 = 7$ to 140 GeV$^2$. For fixed $Q^2$ and $M_X$, the diffractive cross section rises rapidly with $W$, $d\sigma^{diff}_{\gamma^*p \to XN}(M_X,W,Q^2)/dM_X \propto W^{a^{diff}}$ with $a^{diff} = 0.507 \pm 0.034 (stat)^{+0.155}_{-0.046}(syst)$ corresponding to a $t$-averaged pomeron trajectory of $\bar{\alphapom} = 1.127 \pm 0.009 (stat)^{+0.039}_{-0.012} (syst)$ which is larger than $\bar{\alphapom}$ observed in hadron-hadron scattering. The $W$ dependence of the diffractive cross section is found to be the same as that of the total cross section for scattering of virtual photons on protons. The data are consistent with the assumption that the diffractive structure function $F^{D(3)}_2$ factorizes according to $\xpom F^{D(3)}_2 (\xpom,\beta,Q^2) = (x_0/ \xpom)^n F^{D(2)}_2(\beta,Q^2)$. They are also consistent with QCD based models which incorporate factorization breaking. The rise of $\xpom F^{D(3)}_2$ with decreasing $\xpom$ and the weak dependence of $F^{D(2)}_2$ on $Q^2$ suggest a substantial contribution from partonic interactions.
Cross section for diffractive scattering.
Cross section for diffractive scattering.
Cross section for diffracitve scattering.
Forum