Deep inelastic inclusive e p scattering at low x and a determination of alpha(s)
Dec, 200068 pages
Published in:
- Eur.Phys.J.C 21 (2001) 33-61
e-Print:
- hep-ex/0012053 [hep-ex]
Report number:
- DESY-00-181
Experiments:
Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
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.Note:
- 68 pages, 24 figures and 18 tables Report-no: DESY 00-181
- positron p: colliding beams
- positron p: inclusive reaction
- small-x
- neutral current
- differential cross section
- p: structure function
- structure function: longitudinal
- momentum transfer dependence
- DGLAP equation
- quantum chromodynamics: perturbation theory
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