Eur. Phys. J. C (2009) 62: 365-374
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-009-1027-x

Regular Article - Theoretical Physics

Inclusive photoproduction of D ^*±-mesons at next-to-leading order in the general-mass variable-flavor-number scheme

¹ II. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761, Hamburg, Germany
² Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmology, Université Joseph Fourier, CNRS/IN2P3, INPG, 53 Avenue des Martyrs, 38026, Grenoble, France
³ Institut für Physik, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Staudinger Weg 7, 55099, Mainz, Germany

^* e-mail: hspiesb@thep.physik.uni-mainz.de

Received: 26 February 2009
Published online: 22 April 2009

Abstract

We discuss the inclusive production of D ^*±-mesons in γ p collisions at DESY HERA, based on a calculation at next-to-leading order in the general-mass variable-flavor-number scheme. In this approach, subtraction is applied in such a way that large logarithmic corrections are resummed in universal parton distribution and fragmentation functions and finite-mass terms are taken into account. We present detailed numerical results for a comparison with data obtained at HERA and discuss various sources of theoretical uncertainties.