Abstract | The cross section for the diffractive deep-inelastic scattering process $ep
\to e X p$ is measured, with the leading final state proton detected in the
H1 Forward Proton Spectrometer, using data collected at HERA-2. The data
cover the range $\xpom <0.1$ in fractional proton longitudinal momentum
loss, $0.1 \leq |t| \leq 0.7~{\rm GeV}^2$ in squared four-momentum transfer
at the proton vertex, $5 \leq Q^2 \leq 200~{\rm GeV}^2$ in photon
virtuality and $0.0018 \leq \beta = x / \xpom \leq 0.56$, where $x$ is the
Bjorken scaling variable. The cross section is measured differentially in
$t, \xpom, \beta$ and $Q^2$. The ratio of the diffractive to the inclusive
$ep$ cross section is studied as a function of $Q^2, \beta$ and $\xpom$. The
$t$ and $\xpom$ dependences are interpreted in terms of an effective pomeron
trajectory and a sub-leading exchange. The data are compared with QCD
predictions at next-to-leading order based on diffractive parton
distribution functions previously extracted from measurements of inclusive
diffractive deep-inelastic scattering. |