The production of energetic neutrons in $ep$ collisions has been studied with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The neutron energy and $p_T^2$ distributions were measured with a forward neutron calorimeter and tracker in a $40 \pb^{-1}$ sample of inclusive deep inelastic scattering (DIS) data and a $6 \pb^{-1}$ sample of photoproduction data. The neutron yield in photoproduction is suppressed relative to DIS for the lower neutron energies and the neutrons have a steeper $p_T^2$ distribution, consistent with the expectation from absorption models. The distributions are compared to HERA measurements of leading protons. The neutron energy and transverse-momentum distributions in DIS are compared to Monte Carlo simulations and to the predictions of particle exchange models. Models of pion exchange incorporating absorption and additional secondary meson exchanges give a good description of the data.
Ratio of leading neutron to inclusive cross sections integrated to the full PT range.
Normalized double differential cross sections for leading neutron production for the full DIS sample. Statistical errors only are given.
Normalized double differential cross sections for leading neutron production for the full DIS sample. Statistical errors only are given.
A precise measurement of the inclusive deep-inelastic e^+p scattering cross section is reported in the kinematic range 1.5<= Q^2 <=150 GeV^2 and 3*10^(-5)<= x <=0.2. The data were recorded with the H1 detector at HERA in 1996 and 1997, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 20 pb^(-1). The double differential cross section, from which the proton structure function F_2(x,Q^2) and the longitudinal structure function F_L(x,Q^2) are extracted, is measured with typically 1% statistical and 3% systematic uncertainties. The measured partial derivative (dF_2(x,Q^2)/dln Q^2)_x is observed to rise continuously towards small x for fixed Q^2. The cross section data are combined with published H1 measurements at high Q^2 for a next-to-leading order DGLAP QCD analysis.The H1 data determine the gluon momentum distribution in the range 3*10^(-4)<= x <=0.1 to within an experimental accuracy of about 3% for Q^2 =20 GeV^2. A fit of the H1 measurements and the mu p data of the BCDMS collaboration allows the strong coupling constant alpha_s and the gluon distribution to be simultaneously determined. A value of alpha _s(M_Z^2)=0.1150+-0.0017 (exp) +0.0009-0.0005 (model) is obtained in NLO, with an additional theoretical uncertainty of about +-0.005, mainly due to the uncertainty of the renormalisation scale.
The reduced deep inelastic cross section , and F2, with data taken in the dedicated low Q**2 trigger run of 1997. For y < 0.6, F2 is extracted using the quoted values of R, defined from a QCD fit to the H1 cross section data. The firstDSYS error is the uncorrelated systematic error, and the second is the correlat ed systematic error.
The reduced deep inelastic cross section , and F2, with data taken in 1996/97. For y < 0.6, F2 is extracted using the quoted values of R, defined from a QCD fit to the H1 cross section data. The first DSYS error is the uncorrelated systematic error, and the second is the correlated systematic error.
The measured value of the reduced cross section derivative D(SIG(C=REDUCED))/DLN(Y) calculated at fixed Q**2 bins. The data below 13.5 GeV come from the special low Q**2 run in 1997. The larger Q**2 come from the 1996/97 data.
Jet event rates in deep inelastic ep scattering at HERA are investigated applying the modified JADE jet algorithm. The analysis uses data taken with the H1 detector in 1994 and 1995. The data are corrected for detector and hadronization effects and then compared with perturbative QCD predictions using next-to-leading order calculations. The strong coupling constant alpha_S(M_Z^2) is determined evaluating the jet event rates. Values of alpha_S(Q^2) are extracted in four different bins of the negative squared momentum transfer~$\qq$ in the range from 40 GeV2 to 4000 GeV2. A combined fit of the renormalization group equation to these several alpha_S(Q^2) values results in alpha_S(M_Z^2) = 0.117+-0.003(stat)+0.009-0.013(syst)+0.006(jet algorithm).
Measured (2+1) jet event rates using the modified JADE algorithm (C=MEAS), corrected to the hadron (C=HAD) and to the parton (C=PAR) level. The variable Z(p) is defined as the minimum (for i=1,2) of. (E_jet,i*(1-cos(theta_jet,i)/SUM(j=1,2)(E_jet,j*(1-cos(theta,j)).
ALPHAS at different Q2 values. The TOT error is the total error.
ALPHAS extrapolated to the Z0 mass. The second DSYS (systematic) error is from the jet finding alogrithm.