This thesis presents measurements of charged current deep inelastic scattering cross sections in e+p collisions with longitudinally polarised positron beams. The measurements are based on data taken by the ZEUS detector at the HERA collider during the 2006-2007 run- ning period. The data sample has an integrated luminosity of 132 pb-1 and was taken at a centre-of-mass energy of 318 GeY. The total cross section has been measured at positive and negative values of the longitu- dinal polarisation of the positron beam (Pe). In addition, the single differential cross sections dδ / dQ2, dδ / dx and dδ / dy have been measured for Q2 > 200 Ge y2, also using both positively and negatively polarised positron beams. The reduced cross section has been measured in nine bins of Q2 in the kinematic range 280 < Q2 < 30000 Gey2 and 0.0078 < x < 0.42. The results are compared against the descriptions provided by the CTEQ6.6, MSTW 2008, HEARPDF1.0 and ZEUS-JETS PDFs. In general, the measured cross sections are well described by these predictions. Based on the measurement of the total cross section as a function of the polarisation of the positron beam, a lower limit on the mass of a hypothetical right-handed W boson has been extracted from the upper limit of the cross-section at Pe = -1. This limit is complementary to the limits obtained from direct searches (for example at CDF and D0) because the limit presented herein is for a space-like vV, whereas for direct searches, the limit on the mass of a time-like W boson is obtained. The results of this analysis have been published and have been included ill the determination of the HERAPDF theoretical prediction and also in HI and ZEUS combined results.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:589602 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Oliver, Katie Rosemarie |
| Contributors | Devenish, Robin |
| Publisher | University of Oxford |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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