NLO Corrections to Jet Cross Sections in DIS

Abstract

Next-to-leading order corrections to jet cross sections in deep inelastic scattering at HERA are studied. The predicted jet rates allow for a precise determination of $α_s(μ_R)$ at HERA over a wide range of $μ_R$. We argue, that the ``natural'' renormalization and factorization scale is set by the average $k_T^B$ of the jets in the Breit frame and suggest to divide the data in corresponding $<k_T^B>$ intervals. Some implications for the determination of the gluon density and the associated forward jet production in the low $x$ regime at HERA are briefly discussed.

Talk presented by E. Mirkes at the 'International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and Related Phenomena' (DIS96), April 1996, Rome; 6 pages, 1 figure. The complete paper, including figures, is also available via anonymous ftp at ftp://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/ , or via www at http://www-ttp.physik.uni-karlsruhe.de/cgi-bin/preprints/