Neutral strange particle production in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

This paper presents measurements ofK⁰ and production in neutral current, deep inelastic scattering of 26.7 GeV electrons and 820 GeV protons in the kinematic range 10Q²<640>², 0.0003x<0.01,>y>0.04. Average multiplicities forK⁰ and production are determined for transverse momentap_T>0.5 GeV and pseudorapidities ||<1.3. the=" multiplicities=" favour=" a=" stronger=" strange=" to=" light=" quark=" suppression=" in=" the=" fragmentation=" chain=" than=" found=">e⁺e^– experiments. The production properties ofK^0' s in events with and without a large rapidity gap with respect to the proton direction are compared. The ratio of neutralK^0' s to charged particles per event in the measured kinematic range is, within the present statistics, the same in both samples.Supported by Worldlab, Lausanne, Switzerland