Small-x QCD Effects in Particle Collisions at High Energies

Recent theoretical developments to calculate cross sections of hadronic objects in the high energy limit are summarised and experimental attempts to establish the need for new QCD effects connected with a resummation of small hadron momentum fractions x are reviewed. The relation between small-$x$ parton dynamics and the phenomenon of diffraction is briefly out-lined. In addition, a search for a novel, non-perturbative QCD effect, the production of QCD instanton induced events, is presented.Comment: Invited talk at the XX. Int. Sym. on Lepton and Photon Interactions at High Energies, Rome, Italy, July 200

Study of proton parton distribution functions at high x using ZEUS data

At large values of x the parton distribution functions (PDFs) of the proton are poorly constrained and there are considerable variations between different global fits. Data at such high x have already been published by the ZEUS Collaboration, but not yet used in PDF extractions. A technique for comparing predictions based on different PDF sets to the observed number of events in the ZEUS data is presented. It is applied to compare predictions from the most commonly used PDFs to published ZEUS data at high Bjorken x. A wide variation is found in the ability of the PDFs to predict the observed results. A scheme for including the ZEUS high-x data in future PDF extractions is discussed.Comment: 36 pages, 5 Figures. Additional information showing comparison to more PDF sets can be found https://www-zeus.desy.de/zeus_papers/zeus_papers.htm

Studies of the diffractive photoproduction of isolated photons at HERA

The photoproduction of isolated photons has been measured in diffractive events recorded by the ZEUS detector at HERA. Cross sections are evaluated in the photon transverse-energy and pseudorapidity ranges $5 < E_T < 15$ GeV and $-0.7 < \eta < 0.9,$ inclusively and also with a jet with transverse energy and pseudorapidity in the ranges $4 < E_{jet} < 35$ GeV and $-1.5 < \eta_{jet} < 1.8,$ using a total integrated electron-proton luminosity of 456 pb$^{-1}$. A number of kinematic variables were studied and compared to predictions from the Rapgap Monte Carlo model. An excess of data is observed above the Rapgap predictions for $z^{meas}_{Pomeron} > 0.9,$ where $z^{meas}_{Pomeron}$ is the fraction of the longitudinal momentum of the colourless "Pomeron" exchange that is transferred to the photon-jet final state, giving evidence for direct Pomeron interactions.Comment: 46 pages, 10 figures. The second version has some textual clarification

Evidence for a narrow baryonic state decaying to K0Sp and KOSp in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

A resonance search has been made in the K0Sp and KOSp invariant-mass spectrum measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 121 pb−1. The search was performed in the central rapidity region of inclusive deep inelastic scattering at an ep centre-of-mass energy of 300–318 GeV for exchanged photon virtuality, Q2, above 1 GeV2. Recent results from fixed-target experiments give evidence for a narrow baryon resonance decaying to K+n and K0Sp, interpreted as a pentaquark. The results presented here support the existence of such state, with a mass of 1521.5±1.5(stat.)+2.8−1.7(syst.) MeV and a Gaussian width consistent with the experimental resolution of 2 MeV. The signal is visible at high Q2 and, for Q2>20 GeV2, contains 221±48 events. The probability of a similar signal anywhere in the range 1500–1560 MeV arising from fluctuations of the background is below 6×10−5

Production of J/psi Mesons at HERA

Inelastic and diffractive production of J/psi mesons at HERA is reviewed. The data on inelastic photoproduction are described well within errors by the Colour Singlet Model in next-to-leading order. A search for colour octet processes predicted within the NRQCD/factorisation approach is conducted in many regions of phase space. No unambiguous evidence has been found to date. Diffractive elastic production of J/psi mesons has been measured in the limit of photoproduction up to the highest photon proton center of mass energies. The increase of the cross section is described by pQCD models. At larger Q^2, the W dependence is found to be similar to that observed in photoproduction. First analyses of data at high t yield a powerlike dependence on |t|. A LO BFKL calculation gives a good description of the data.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, contribution to Ringberg 200