Beauty Production

The beauty measurements performed with HERA-I data were drastically limited by statistics. It can be estimated that the structure function $F_2^{b\bar{b}}$ can be measured at a four times better accuracy than with HERA-I, i.e. at an experimental uncertainty of better than 10% in the range of $Q^2<1000$ GeV$^2$. At this precision the data can help to constrain the theoretical predictions for the charm and beauty components to the inclusive cross section which is presently most precisely measured from scaling violations of the inclusive structure function $F_2$. Beauty production in channels with exclusive final states, such as $ep \rightarrow eb\bar{b}X \rightarrow ej(j)\mu X$ need to be repeated at higher precision and in a larger kinematic range. Double differential measurements might help to isolate those regions in which the description of the data possibly breaks down. It can be expected that the measurement of the process $ep \rightarrow eb\bar{b}X \rightarrow e B X \rightarrow e J/\psi X$ becomes statistically feasible. With the silicon vertex detectors the lifetime distribution can be used to separate contributions from the process of prompt $J/\psi$ production $ep \rightarrow ec\bar{c}X \rightarrow e J/\psi X$.