Multiplicity moments of charged particles in deep inelastic e(+) p scatteri
ng have been measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated lu
minosity of 38.3 pb(-1). The moments for Q(2) > 1000 GeV2 were studied in t
he current region of the Breit frame. The evolution of the moments was inve
stigated as a function of restricted regions in polar angle and, for the fi
rst time, both in the transverse momentum and in absolute momentum of final
-state particles. Analytic perturbative QCD predictions in conjunction with
the hypothesis of Local Parton-Hadron Duality (LPHD) reproduce the trends
of the moments in polar-angle regions, although some discrepancies are obse
rved. For the moments restricted either in transverse or absolute momentum,
the analytic results combined with the LPHD hypothesis show considerable d
eviations from tile measurements. The study indicates a large influence of
the hadronisation stage on the multiplicity distributions in the restricted
phase-space regions studied here, which is inconsistent with the expectati
ons of the LPHD hypothesis. (C) 2001 Publishcd by Elsevier Science B.V.