Measurement of Jet Production Cross Sections in Deep-inelastic ep Scattering at HERA

Abstract

A precision measurement of jet cross sections in neutral current deep-inelastic scattering for photon virtualities $5.5<Q^2<80\,{\rm GeV}^2$ and inelasticities $0.2<y<0.6$ is presented, using data taken with the H1 detector at HERA, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of $290\,{\rm pb}^{-1}$. 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 $Q^2$. Jet cross sections normalised to the inclusive neutral current DIS cross section in the respective $Q^2$-interval are also determined. Previous results of inclusive jet cross sections in the range $150<Q^2<15\,000\,{\rm GeV}^2$ are extended to low transverse jet momenta $5<P_{T}^{\rm jet}<7\,{\rm GeV}$. 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 $Q^2$, the strong coupling constant $\alpha_s(M_Z)$ is determined in next-to-leading order.