Using data onvp and\(\bar vp\) charged current interactions from a bubble chamber experiment with BEBC at CERN, the average multiplicities of charged hadrons and pions are determined as functions ofW2 andQ2. The analysis is based on ∼20000 events with incidentv and ∼10000 events with incident\(\bar v\). In addition to the known dependence of the average multiplicity onW2 a weak dependence onQ2 for fixed intervals ofW is observed. ForW>2 GeV andQ2>0.1 GeV2 the average multiplicity of charged hadrons is well described by〈n〉=a1+a2ln(W2/GeV2)+a3ln(Q2/GeV2) witha1=0.465±0.053,a2=1.211±0.021,a3=0.103±0.014 for thevp anda1=−0.372±0.073,a2=1.245±0.028,a3=0.093±0.015 for the\(\bar vp\) reaction.

Three- and four-jet production is measured in deep-inelastic $ep$ scattering at low $x$ and $Q^2$ with the H1 detector using an integrated luminosity of $44{.}2 {\rm pb}^{-1}$. Several phase space regions are selected for the three-jet analysis in order to study the underlying parton dynamics from global topologies to the more restrictive regions of forward jets close to the proton direction. The measurements of cross sections for events with at least three jets are compared to fixed order QCD predictions of ${\mathcal{O}}(\alpha_{\rm s}^2)$ and ${\mathcal{O}}(\alpha_{\rm s}^3) $ and with Monte Carlo simulation programs where higher order effects are approximated by parton showers. A good overall description is provided by the ${\mathcal{O}}(\alpha_{\rm s}^3) $ calculation. Too few events are predicted at the lowest $x \sim 10^{-4}$, especially for topologies with two forward jets. This hints to large contributions at low $x$ from initial state radiation of gluons close to the proton direction and unordered in transverse momentum. The Monte Carlo program in which gluon radiation is generated by the colour dipole model gives a good description of both the three- and the four-jet data in absolute normalisation and shape.

Measurements of the proton and deuteron $F_2$ structure functions are presented. The data, taken at Jefferson Lab Hall C, span the four-momentum transfer range $0.06 < Q^2 < 2.8$ GeV$^2$, and Bjorken $x$ values from 0.009 to 0.45, thus extending the knowledge of $F_2$ to low values of $Q^2$ at low $x$. Next-to-next-to-leading order calculations using recent parton distribution functions start to deviate from the data for $Q^2<2$ GeV$^2$ at the low and high $x$-values. Down to the lowest value of $Q^2$, the structure function is in good agreement with a parameterization of $F_2$ based on data that have been taken at much higher values of $Q^2$ or much lower values of $x$, and which is constrained by data at the photon point. The ratio of the deuteron and proton structure functions at low $x$ remains well described by a logarithmic dependence on $Q^2$ at low $Q^2$.

Results are presented for six nuclei from Be to Pb on the structure function ratios F 2 A / F 2 C ( x ) and their A dependence in deep inelastic muon scattering at 200 GeV incident muon energy. The data cover the kinematic range 0.01 < x < 0.8 with Q 2 ranging from 2 to 70 GeV 2 . The A dependence of nuclear structure function ratios is parametrised and compared to various models.

Jet substructure and differential cross sections for jets produced in the photoproduction and deep inelastic ep scattering regimes have been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 82.2 pb-1. The substructure of jets has been studied in terms of the jet shape and subjet multiplicity for jets with transverse energies Et(jet) > 17 GeV. The data are well described by the QCD calculations. The jet shape and subjet multiplicity are used to tag gluon- and quark-initiated jets. Jet cross sections as functions of Et(jet), jet pseudorapidity, the jet-jet scattering angle, dijet invariant mass and the fraction of the photon energy carried by the dijet system are presented for gluon- and quark-tagged jets. The data exhibit the behaviour expected from the underlying parton dynamics. A value of alphas(Mz) of alphas(Mz) = 0.1176 +-0.0009(stat.) -0.0026 +0.0009 (exp.) -0.0072 +0.0091 (th.) was extracted from the measurements of jet shapes in deep inelastic scattering.

Deep inelastic scattering and its diffractive component, ep -> e'gamma*p ->e'XN, have been studied at HERA with the ZEUS detector using an integrated luminosity of 4.2 pb-1. The measurement covers a wide range in the gamma*p c.m. energy W (37 - 245 GeV), photon virtuality Q2 (2.2 - 80 GeV2) and mass Mx. The diffractive cross section for Mx > 2 GeV rises strongly with W: the rise is steeper with increasing Q2. The latter observation excludes the description of diffractive deep inelastic scattering in terms of the exchange of a single Pomeron. The ratio of diffractive to total cross section is constant as a function of W, in contradiction to the expectation of Regge phenomenology combined with a naive extension of the optical theorem to gamma*p scattering. Above Mx of 8 GeV, the ratio is flat with Q2, indicating a leading-twist behaviour of the diffractive cross section. The data are also presented in terms of the diffractive structure function, F2D(3)(beta,xpom,Q2), of the proton. For fixed beta, the Q2 dependence of xpom F2D(3) changes with xpom in violation of Regge factorisation. For fixed xpom, xpom F2D(3) rises as beta -> 0, the rise accelerating with increasing Q2. These positive scaling violations suggest substantial contributions of perturbative effects in the diffractive DIS cross section.

The production of neutral strange hadrons is investigated using deep-inelastic scattering events measured with the H1 detector at HERA. The measurements are made in the phase space defined by the negative four-momentum transfer squared of the photon 2 &lt; Q^2 &lt; 100 GeV^2 and the inelasticity 0.1 &lt; y &lt; 0.6. The K_s and Lambda production cross sections and their ratios are determined. K_s production is compared to the production of charged particles in the same region of phase space. The Lambda - anti-Lambda asymmetry is also measured and found to be consistent with zero. Predictions of leading order Monte Carlo programs are compared to the data.

In this paper Au+Au collisions at 11.6A GeV/c are characterized by two global observables: the energy measured near zero degrees (EZCAL) and the total event multiplicity. Particle spectra are measured for different event classes that are defined in a two-dimensional grid of both global observables. For moderately central events (σ/σint<12%) the proton dN/dy distributions do not depend on EZCAL but only on the event multiplicity. In contrast the shape of the proton transverse spectra shows little dependence on the event multiplicity. The change in the proton dN/dy distributions suggests that different conditions are formed in the collision for different event classes. These event classes are studied for signals of new physics by measuring pion and kaon spectra and yields. In the event classes doubly selected on EZCAL and multiplicity there is no indication of any unusual pion or kaon yields, spectra, or K/π ratio even in the events with extreme multiplicity.

We report measurements of the exclusive electroproduction of $K^+\Lambda$ and $K^+\Sigma^0$ final states from a proton target using the CLAS detector at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. The separated structure functions $\sigma_T$, $\sigma_L$, $\sigma_{TT}$, and $\sigma_{LT}$ were extracted from the $\Phi$- and $\epsilon$-dependent differential cross sections taken with electron beam energies of 2.567, 4.056, and 4.247 GeV. This analysis represents the first $\sigma_L/\sigma_T$ separation with the CLAS detector, and the first measurement of the kaon electroproduction structure functions away from parallel kinematics. The data span a broad range of momentum transfers from $0.5\leq Q^2\leq 2.8$ GeV$^2$ and invariant energy from $1.6\leq W\leq 2.4$ GeV, while spanning nearly the full center-of-mass angular range of the kaon. The separated structure functions reveal clear differences between the production dynamics for the $\Lambda$ and $\Sigma^0$ hyperons. These results provide an unprecedented data sample with which to constrain current and future models for the associated production of strangeness, which will allow for a better understanding of the underlying resonant and non-resonant contributions to hyperon production.

A search for single top quark production is performed in e^\pm p collisions at HERA. The search exploits data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 118.3 pb^-1. A model for the anomalous production of top quarks in a flavour changing neutral current process involving a t-u-gamma coupling is investigated. Decays of top quarks into a b quark and a W boson are considered in the leptonic and the hadronic decay channels of the W. Both a cut-based analysis and a multivariate likelihood analysis are performed to discriminate anomalous top quark production from Standard Model background processes. In the leptonic channel, 5 events are found while 1.31 \pm 0.22 events are expected from the Standard Model background. In the hadronic channel, no excess above the expectation for Standard Model processes is found. These observations lead to a cross section \sigma (ep -> e t X) = 0.29 +0.15 -0.14 pb at \sqrt{s} = 319 GeV. Alternatively, assuming that the observed events are due to a statistical fluctuation, upper limits of 0.55 pb on the anomalous top production cross section and of 0.27 on the t-u-gamma coupling \kappa_{t-u-gamma} are established at the 95% confidence level.