A measurement of the virtual-photon asymmetry A_2(x,Q^2) and of the spin-structure function g_2(x,Q^2) of the proton are presented for the kinematic range 0.004 < x < 0.9 and 0.18 GeV^2 < Q^2 < 20 GeV^2. The data were collected by the HERMES experiment at the HERA storage ring at DESY while studying inclusive deep-inelastic scattering of 27.6 GeV longitudinally polarized leptons off a transversely polarized hydrogen gas target. The results are consistent with previous experimental data from CERN and SLAC. For the x-range covered, the measured integral of g_2(x) converges to the null result of the Burkhardt-Cottingham sum rule. The x^2 moment of the twist-3 contribution to g_2(x) is found to be compatible with zero.
The spin-structure function $xg_2(x,Q^2)$ and virtual-photon asymmetry $A_2(x,Q^2)$ of the proton in bins of $(x,Q^2)$, see text for details. Statistical and systematic uncertainties are presented separately.
The spin-structure function $xg_2$ and the virtual-photon asymmetry $A_2$ of the proton after evolving to common $Q^2$ and averaging over in each $x$-bin (see text for details). Statistical and systematic uncertainties are presented separately.
Correlation matrix for $xg_2$ in 9 $x$-bins (as in Table 2).
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