H1 and ZEUS have published single-differential cross sections for inclusive D^{*\pm}-meson production in deep-inelastic ep scattering at HERA from their respective final data sets. These cross sections are combined in the common visible phase-space region of photon virtuality Q2 > 5 GeV2, electron inelasticity 0.02 < y < 0.7 and the D^{*\pm} meson's transverse momentum pT (D^*) > 1.5 GeV and pseudorapidity |eta(D^*)| < 1.5. The combination procedure takes into account all correlations, yielding significantly reduced experimental uncertainties. Double-differential cross sections d2s /dQ2dy are combined with earlier D^{*\pm} data, extending the kinematic range down to Q2 > 1.5 GeV2. Perturbative next-to-leadingorder QCD predictions are compared to the results.
The combined differential $D^{*\pm}$-production cross section as a function of $p_T(D^{*})$, with its uncorrelated and correlated uncertainties.
The combined differential $D^{*\pm}$-production cross section as a function of $\eta(D^{*})$, with its uncorrelated and correlated uncertainties.
The combined differential $D^{*\pm}$-production cross section as a function of $z(D^{*})$, with its uncorrelated and correlated uncertainties.
With the H1 detector at the ep collider HERA, D* meson production cross sections have been measured in deep inelastic scattering with four-momentum transfers Q^2>2 GeV2 and in photoproduction at energies around W(gamma p)~ 88 GeV and 194 GeV. Next-to-Leading Order QCD calculations are found to describe the differential cross sections within theoretical and experimental uncertainties. Using these calculations, the NLO gluon momentum distribution in the proton, x_g g(x_g), has been extracted in the momentum fraction range 7.5x10^{-4}< x_g <4x10^{-2} at average scales mu^2 =25 to 50 GeV2. The gluon momentum fraction x_g has been obtained from the measured kinematics of the scattered electron and the D* meson in the final state. The results compare well with the gluon distribution obtained from the analysis of scaling violations of the proton structure function F_2.
Total cross section for DIS D*+- production in the specified kinemtaic range.
DIS cross section as a function of the transverse D* momentum in the laboratory frame.
DIS cross section as a function of the transverse D* momentum in the hadronic centre-of-mass frame.