ar X iv : h ep - e x / 99 05 03 9 v 2 7 J un 1 99 9 DESY – 99 – 058

In a search for signatures of physics processes beyond the Standard Model, various eeqq vector contact–interaction hypotheses have been tested using the high–Q, deep inelastic neutral–current ep scattering data collected with the ZEUS detector at HERA. The data correspond to an integrated luminosity of 47.7 pb of ep interactions at 300GeV center–of–mass energy. No significant evidence of a contact– interaction signal has been found. Limits at the 95% confidence level are set on the contact–interaction amplitudes. The effective mass scales Λ corresponding to these limits range from 1.7TeV to 5TeV for the contact–interaction scenarios considered. The ZEUS Collaboration J. Breitweg, S. Chekanov, M. Derrick, D. Krakauer, S. Magill, B. Musgrave, A. Pellegrino, J. Repond, R. Stanek, R. Yoshida Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, USA p M.C.K. Mattingly Andrews University, Berrien Springs, MI, USA G. Abbiendi, F. Anselmo, P. Antonioli, G. Bari, M. Basile, L. Bellagamba, D. Boscherini, A. Bruni, G. Bruni, G. Cara Romeo, G. Castellini, L. Cifarelli, F. Cindolo, A. Contin, N. Coppola, M. Corradi, S. De Pasquale, P. Giusti, G. Iacobucci, G. Laurenti, G. Levi, A. Margotti, T. Massam, R. Nania, F. Palmonari, A. Pesci, A. Polini, G. Sartorelli, Y. Zamora Garcia, A. Zichichi University and INFN Bologna, Bologna, Italy f C. Amelung, A. Bornheim, I. Brock, K. Coböken, J. Crittenden, R. Deffner, M. Eckert, H. Hartmann, K. Heinloth, L. Heinz, E. Hilger, H.-P. Jakob, A. Kappes, U.F. Katz, R. Kerger, E. Paul, M. Pfeiffer, J. Rautenberg, H. Schnurbusch, A. Stifutkin, J. Tandler, A. Weber, H. Wieber Physikalisches Institut der Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany c D.S. Bailey, O. Barret, W.N. Cottingham, B. Foster, G.P. Heath, H.F. Heath, J.D. McFall, D. Piccioni, J. Scott, R.J. Tapper H.H. Wills Physics Laboratory, University of Bristol, Bristol, U.K. o M. Capua, A. Mastroberardino, M. Schioppa, G. Susinno Calabria University, Physics Dept.and INFN, Cosenza, Italy f H.Y. Jeoung, J.Y. Kim, J.H. Lee, I.T. Lim, K.J. Ma, M.Y. Pac Chonnam National University, Kwangju, Korea h A. Caldwell, N. Cartiglia, Z. Jing, W. Liu, B. Mellado, J.A. Parsons, S. Ritz, R. Sacchi, S. Sampson, F. Sciulli, Q. Zhu Columbia University, Nevis Labs., Irvington on Hudson, N.Y., USA q P. Borzemski, J. Chwastowski, A. Eskreys, J. Figiel, K. Klimek, K. Olkiewicz, M.B. Przybycień, L. Zawiejski Inst. of Nuclear Physics, Cracow, Poland j L. Adamczyk, B. Bednarek, K. Jeleń, D. Kisielewska, A.M. Kowal, T. Kowalski, M. Przybycień, E. Rulikowska-Zarȩbska, L. Suszycki, J. Zaja̧c Faculty of Physics and Nuclear Techniques, Academy of Mining and Metallurgy, Cracow, Poland j