Identification of Nuclear Effects in Neutrino-Carbon Interactions at Low Three-Momentum Transfer

(MINERvA Collaboration)

doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.071802

Identification of Nuclear Effects in Neutrino-Carbon Interactions at Low Three-Momentum Transfer

(MINERvA Collaboration)

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Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Article number	071802
Journal	Physical Review Letters
Volume	116
Issue number	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.071802
State	Published - 17 Feb 2016

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10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.071802

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@article{5536bdbe6ab0416dbdc22032f982c364,

title = "Identification of Nuclear Effects in Neutrino-Carbon Interactions at Low Three-Momentum Transfer",

abstract = "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.",

author = "{(MINERvA Collaboration)} and Rodrigues, {P. A.} and J. Demgen and E. Miltenberger and L. Aliaga and O. Altinok and L. Bellantoni and A. Bercellie and M. Betancourt and A. Bodek and A. Bravar and H. Budd and T. Cai and Carneiro, {M. F.} and J. Chvojka and J. Devan and Dytman, {S. A.} and D{\'i}az, {G. A.} and B. Eberly and M. Elkins and J. Felix and L. Fields and R. Fine and Gago, {A. M.} and R. Galindo and H. Gallagher and A. Ghosh and T. Golan and R. Gran and Harris, {D. A.} and A. Higuera and K. Hurtado and M. Kiveni and J. Kleykamp and M. Kordosky and T. Le and Leistico, {J. R.} and A. Lovlein and E. Maher and S. Manly and Mann, {W. A.} and Marshall, {C. M.} and {Martinez Caicedo}, {D. A.} and McFarland, {K. S.} and McGivern, {C. L.} and McGowan, {A. M.} and B. Messerly and J. Miller and A. Mislivec and Morf{\'i}n, {J. G.} and J. Mousseau",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 American Physical Society.",

year = "2016",

month = feb,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.071802",

language = "English",

volume = "116",

journal = "Physical Review Letters",

issn = "0031-9007",

number = "7",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Identification of Nuclear Effects in Neutrino-Carbon Interactions at Low Three-Momentum Transfer

AU - (MINERvA Collaboration)

AU - Rodrigues, P. A.

AU - Demgen, J.

AU - Miltenberger, E.

AU - Aliaga, L.

AU - Altinok, O.

AU - Bellantoni, L.

AU - Bercellie, A.

AU - Betancourt, M.

AU - Bodek, A.

AU - Bravar, A.

AU - Budd, H.

AU - Cai, T.

AU - Carneiro, M. F.

AU - Chvojka, J.

AU - Devan, J.

AU - Dytman, S. A.

AU - Díaz, G. A.

AU - Eberly, B.

AU - Elkins, M.

AU - Felix, J.

AU - Fields, L.

AU - Fine, R.

AU - Gago, A. M.

AU - Galindo, R.

AU - Gallagher, H.

AU - Ghosh, A.

AU - Golan, T.

AU - Gran, R.

AU - Harris, D. A.

AU - Higuera, A.

AU - Hurtado, K.

AU - Kiveni, M.

AU - Kleykamp, J.

AU - Kordosky, M.

AU - Le, T.

AU - Leistico, J. R.

AU - Lovlein, A.

AU - Maher, E.

AU - Manly, S.

AU - Mann, W. A.

AU - Marshall, C. M.

AU - Martinez Caicedo, D. A.

AU - McFarland, K. S.

AU - McGivern, C. L.

AU - McGowan, A. M.

AU - Messerly, B.

AU - Miller, J.

AU - Mislivec, A.

AU - Morfín, J. G.

AU - Mousseau, J.

PY - 2016/2/17

Y1 - 2016/2/17

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84959422071&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.071802

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.071802

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84959422071

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 116

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

IS - 7

M1 - 071802

ER -

Identification of Nuclear Effects in Neutrino-Carbon Interactions at Low Three-Momentum Transfer

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