Search for Contact Interactions in Deep Inelastic e^+p->e^+X Scattering at HERA

Abstract

In a search for signatures of physics processes beyond the Standard Model, various eeqq vector contact-interaction hypotheses have been tested using the high-Q^2, deep inelastic neutral-current e^+p scattering data collected with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 47.7pb-1 of e^+p interactions at 300GeV center-of-mass energy. No significant evidence of a contact-interaction signal has been found. Limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the contact-interaction amplitudes. The effective mass scales Lambda corresponding to these limits range from 1.7TeV to 5TeV for the contact-interaction scenarios considered.

arXiv comment27 pages including 7 figures; Correction 07/June/99: labels VV and VA in fig. 4 interchanged; Replaced 14/Jan/00: minor textual clarifications, reordering of figures 4-6; accepted by Eur.Phys.J.C