Measurement of jet production cross sections in deep-inelastic ep scattering at HERA

Abstract

Abstract A precision measurement of jet cross sections in neutral current deep-inelastic scattering for photon virtualities $$5.5<Q^2 <80\,\mathrm {GeV}^2 $$ 5.5 < Q 2 < 80 GeV 2 and inelasticities $$0.2<y<0.6$$ 0.2 < y < 0.6 is presented, using data taken with the H1 detector at HERA, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $$290\,\mathrm {pb}^{-1}$$ 290 pb - 1 . Double-differential inclusive jet, dijet and trijet cross sections are measured simultaneously and are presented as a function of jet transverse momentum observables and as a function of $$Q^2$$ Q 2 . Jet cross sections normalised to the inclusive neutral current DIS cross section in the respective $$Q^2$$ Q 2 -interval are also determined. Previous results of inclusive jet cross sections in the range $$150<Q^2 <15{,}000\,\mathrm {GeV}^2 $$ 150 < Q 2 < 15 , 000 GeV 2 are extended to low transverse jet momenta $$5<P_\mathrm{T}^\mathrm{jet} <7\,\mathrm {GeV} $$ 5 < P T jet < 7 GeV . The data are compared to predictions from perturbative QCD in next-to-leading order in the strong coupling, in approximate next-to-next-to-leading order and in full next-to-next-to-leading order. Using also the recently published H1 jet data at high values of $$Q^2$$ Q 2 , the strong coupling constant $$\alpha _s(M_Z)$$ α s ( M Z ) is determined in next-to-leading order.