Identification of nuclear effects in neutrino-carbon interactions at low three-momentum transfer

Collaboration
Nov 18, 2015
6 pages
Published in:
  • Phys.Rev.Lett. 116 (2016) 071802,
  • Phys.Rev.Lett. 121 (2018) 20, 209902 (addendum)
  • Published: Feb 17, 2016
e-Print:
Report number:
  • FERMILAB-PUB-15-498-ND
Experiments:

Citations per year

20162018202020222024051015202530
Abstract: (APS)
Two different nuclear-medium effects are isolated using a low three-momentum transfer subsample of neutrino-carbon scattering data from the MINERvA neutrino experiment. The observed hadronic energy in charged-current νμ interactions is combined with muon kinematics to permit separation of the quasielastic and Δ(1232) resonance processes. First, we observe a small cross section at very low energy transfer that matches the expected screening effect of long-range nucleon correlations. Second, additions to the event rate in the kinematic region between the quasielastic and Δ resonance processes are needed to describe the data. The data in this kinematic region also have an enhanced population of multiproton final states. Contributions predicted for scattering from a nucleon pair have both properties; the model tested in this analysis is a significant improvement but does not fully describe the data. We present the results as a double-differential cross section to enable further investigation of nuclear models. Improved description of the effects of the nuclear environment are required by current and future neutrino oscillation experiments.
Note:
  • 7 pages, 3 figures, supplemental material. v2 includes updates from the review process. v3 includes ancillary files
  • 13.15.+g
  • 25.30.Pt
  • neutrino nucleon: inelastic scattering
  • nuclear matter: effect
  • effect: long-range
  • screening: effect
  • energy: low
  • neutrino: oscillation
  • nucleon: correlation
  • energy: hadronic
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