Deep-Inelastic Inclusive ep Scattering at Low x and a Determination of alpha_s

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.Comment: 68 pages, 24 figures and 18 table

Searches at HERA for Squarks in R-Parity Violating Supersymmetry

A search for squarks in R-parity violating supersymmetry is performed in e^+p collisions at HERA at a centre of mass energy of 300 GeV, using H1 data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 37 pb^(-1). The direct production of single squarks of any generation in positron-quark fusion via a Yukawa coupling lambda' is considered, taking into account R-parity violating and conserving decays of the squarks. No significant deviation from the Standard Model expectation is found. The results are interpreted in terms of constraints within the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model (MSSM), the constrained MSSM and the minimal Supergravity model, and their sensitivity to the model parameters is studied in detail. For a Yukawa coupling of electromagnetic strength, squark masses below 260 GeV are excluded at 95% confidence level in a large part of the parameter space. For a 100 times smaller coupling strength masses up to 182 GeV are excluded.Comment: 32 pages, 14 figures, 3 table

Inelastic photoproduction of J/Psi mesons at HERA

An analysis of inelastic photoproduction of J/Psi mesons is presented using data collected at the ep collider HERA corresponding to an integrated luminosity of above 80pb-1. Differential and double differential cross sections are measured in a wide kinematic region: 6

Inelastic Leptoproduction of J/Psi Mesons at HERA

The leptoproduction of J/psi mesons is studied in inelastic reactions for four momentum transfers 2<Q^2<100GeV^2. The data were taken with the H1 detector at the electron proton collider HERA and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 77 pb-1. Single differential and double differential cross sections are measured with increased precision compared with previous analyses. New leading order calculations within the non-relativistic QCD factorisation approach including colour octet and colour singlet contributions are compared with the data and are found to give a reasonable description of most distributions. An exception is the shape of the distribution in the J/psi fractional energy, z, which deviates significantly from that of the data. Comparisons with photoproduction are made and the polarisation of the produced J/psi meson is analysed.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures and 7 table

Inelastic Photoproduction of J/Psi Mesons at HERA

An analysis of inelastic photoproduction of J/Psi mesons is presented using data collected at the ep collider HERA corresponding to an integrated luminosity of above 80pb-1. Differential and double differential cross sections are measured in a wide kinematic region: 60<W_gammap<260 GeV, 1<p_t^2< 60 GeV^2 and 0.05<z<0.9, where z is the fraction of the energy of the exchanged photon transferred to the J/Psi meson in the rest frame of the target proton. Cross sections at z<0.3 are presented for the first time. Theoretical calculations within the Colour Singlet Model at NLO for direct photon processes are shown to give a good description of the data in the medium z region (0.3<z<0.9) up to the highest p_t^2 values. A calculation using a k_t factorisation approach in LO in the Colour Singlet Model is also able to describe these data. The data in the full z range are also compared to LO calculations within a non-relativistic QCD framework including color octet and colour singlet contributions for direct and resolved photons. It seems possible to reconcile data and theory with modest contributions from colour octet processes. The polarisation of the J/Psi meson is measured as a function of z and p_t,psi and is reasonably described by the theoretical predictions.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figures, 11 table

On the Rise of the Proton Structure Function F2_2 Towards Low x

A measurement of the derivative (d ln F_2 / d lnx)_(Q^2)= -lambda(x,Q^2) of the proton structure function F_2 is presented in the low x domain of deeply inelastic positron-proton scattering. For 5*10^(-5)=1.5 GeV^2, lambda(x,Q^2) is found to be independent of x and to increase linearly with ln(Q^2)

Diffractive photoproduction of psi(2S) mesons at HERA

Results on diffractive photoproduction of psi(2S) mesons are presented using data collected between 1996 and 2000 with the H1 detector at the HERA ep collider. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 77 pb(-1). The energy dependence of the diffractive psi(2S) cross section is found to be similar to or possibly somewhat steeper than that for J/psi mesons. The dependences of the elastic and proton dissociative psi(2S) photoproduction cross sections on the squared momentum transfer t at the proton vertex are measured. The t-dependence of the elastic channel, parametrised as e(bt), yields b(el)(psi(2S)) = (4.31 +/- 0.57 +/- 0.46) GeV-2, compatible with that of the J/psi. For the proton dissociative channel the result b(pd)(psi(2S)) = (0.59 +/- 0.13 +/- 0.12) GeV-2 is 2.3 standard deviations smaller than that measured for the J/psi. With proper account of the individual wavefunctions theoretical predictions based on perturbative QCD are found to describe the measurements well. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

Inelastic leptoproduction of J/psi mesons at HERA

The leptoproduction of J/psi mesons is studied in inelastic reactions for four momentorri transfers 2 < Q(2) < 100GeV(2). The data were taken with the H1 detector at the electron proton collider HERA and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 77 pb(-1). Single differential and double differential cross sections are measured with increased precision compared with previous analyses. New leading order calculations within the non-relativistic QCD factorisation approach including colour octet and colour singlet contributions are compared with the data and are found to give a reasonable description of most distributions. An exception is the shape of the distribution in the J/psi fractional energy. z, which deviates significantly from that of the data. Comparisons with photoproduction are made and the polarisation of the produced J/psi meson is analysed

Search for excited electrons at HERA

A search for excited electron (e*) production is described in which the electroweak decays e* --> egamma, e* --> eZ and e* -- -> nuW are considered. The data used correspond to an integrated luminosity of 120 pb(-1) taken in e(+/-)p collisions from 1994 to 2000 with the H1 detector at HERA at centre-of- mass energies of 300 and 318 GeV. No evidence for a signal is found. Mass dependent exclusion limits are derived for the ratio of the couplings to the compositeness scale, f/A. These limits extend the excluded region to higher masses than has been possible in previous direct searches for excited electrons. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V