Results of inclusive measurements of inelastic electron and positron scattering from unpolarized protons and deuterons at the HERMES experiment are presented. The structure functions $F_2^p$ and $F_2^d$ are determined using a parameterization of existing data for the longitudinal-to-transverse virtual-photon absorption cross-section ratio. The HERMES results provide data in the ranges $0.006\leq x\leq 0.9$ and 0.1 GeV$^2\leq Q^2\leq$ 20 GeV$^2$, covering the transition region between the perturbative and the non-perturbative regimes of QCD in a so-far largely unexplored kinematic region. They are in agreement with existing world data in the region of overlap. The measured cross sections are used, in combination with data from other experiments, to perform fits to the photon-nucleon cross section using the functional form of the ALLM model. The deuteron-to-proton cross-section ratio is also determined.
Results on the differential Born cross section $\frac{d^2\sigma^p}{dx\,dQ^2}$ and $F_2^p$. The statistical uncertainty $\delta_{stat.}$ and the systematic uncertainties $\delta_{PID}$ (particle identification), $\delta_{model}$ (model dependence outside the acceptance), $\delta_{mis.}$ (misalignment), and $\delta_{rad.}$ (Bethe-Heitler efficiencies) are given in percent. Corresponding $x$ bin numbers and $Q^2$ bin numbers and the average values $\langle x \rangle$ and $\langle {Q^2} \rangle$ are listed in the first four columns. The overall normalization uncertainty is 7.6 %. The structure function $F_2^p$ is derived using the parameterization $R=R_{1998}$.
Results on the differential Born cross section $\frac{d^2\sigma^d}{dx\,dQ^2}$ and $F_2^d$. The statistical uncertainty $\delta_{stat.}$ and the systematic uncertainties $\delta_{PID}$ (particle identification), $\delta_{model}$ (model dependence outside the acceptance), $\delta_{mis.}$ (misalignment), and $\delta_{rad.}$ (Bethe-Heitler efficiencies), are given in percent. Corresponding $x$ bin numbers and $Q^2$ bin numbers and the average values $\langle x \rangle$ and $\langle{Q^2}\rangle$ are listed in the first four columns. The overall normalization uncertainty is 7.5 %. The structure function $F_2^d$ is derived using the parameterization $R=R_{1998}$.
Results on the inelastic Born cross-section ratio ${\sigma^d}/{\sigma^p}$. The statistical uncertainty $\delta_{stat.}$, the systematic uncertainty $\delta_{rad.}$ due to radiative corrections and $\delta_{model}$ due to the model dependence outside the acceptance are given in percent. The average values of $x$ and $Q^2$ are listed in the first two columns. The overall normalization uncertainty is 1.4$\%$.
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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