Journal article

Publication year: 2014

Journal: Physical Review D

Volume number: 89

Issue number: 9

ISSN: 1550-7998

eISSN: 1550-2368

Open access status: Green

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.093003

Publisher: American Physical Society

Abstract: 
The MINER nu A experiment investigates neutrino interactions with nucleons needed for an understanding of electroweak interactions of hadrons. Since nuclear targets are being used, many-body effects may affect the extracted cross sections and the energy reconstruction. The latter is essential for the extraction of neutrino oscillation properties. We investigate the influence of nuclear effects on neutrino interaction cross sections and make predictions for charged current quasielastic (QE) scattering, nucleon knockout, and pion and kaon production on a CH target. The Giessen Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck model is used for the description of neutrino-nucleus reactions. Integrated and differential cross sections for inclusive neutrino scattering, QE processes and particle production for the MINER nu A neutrino flux are calculated. The influence of final-state interactions on the identification of these processes is discussed. In particular, energy and Q(2) reconstruction for the MINER nu A flux are critically examined. The Q(2) dependence of the inclusive cross sections is found to be sensitive to the energy reconstruction. Cutoffs in flux distributions have a large effect. Final-state interactions affect the pion kinetic energy spectra significantly and increase the kaon cross sections by cross feeding from other channels.

Harvard Citation style: Mosel, U., Lalakulich, O. and Gallmeister, K. (2014) Reaction mechanisms at MINERνA, Physical Review D, 89(9), Article 093003. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.093003

APA Citation style: Mosel, U., Lalakulich, O., & Gallmeister, K. (2014). Reaction mechanisms at MINERνA. Physical Review D. 89(9), Article 093003. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.093003