Measurement of quasielastic-like neutrino scattering at (E-v) similar to ~3.5 GeV on a hydrocarbon target

MINERvA presents a new analysis of neutrino induced quasielastic-like interactions in a hydrocarbon tracking target. We report a double-differential cross section using the muon transverse and longitudinal momentum. In addition, differential cross sections as a function of the square of the four-momentum transferred and the neutrino energy are calculated using a quasielastic hypothesis. Finally, an analysis of energy deposited near the interaction vertex is presented. These results are compared to modified genie predictions as well as a NuWro prediction. All results use a data set produced by 3.34 × 10^20 protons on target creating a neutrino beam with a peak energy of approximately 3.5 GeV

Measurement of ¯ ν μ charged-current single π − production on hydrocarbon in the few-GeV region using MINERvA

The antineutrino scattering channel ¯ ν μ CH → μ + π − X (nucleon(s)) is analyzed in the incident energy range 1.5 to 10 GeV using the MINERvA detector at Fermilab. Differential cross sections are reported as functions of μ + momentum and production angle, π − kinetic energy and production angle, and antineutrino energy and squared four-momentum transfer. Distribution shapes are generally reproduced by simulations based on the GENIE, NuWro, and GiBUU event generators, however GENIE (GiBUU) overestimates (underestimates) the cross section normalizations by 8% (10%). Comparisons of data with the GENIE-based reference simulation probe conventional treatments of cross sections and pion intranuclear rescattering. The distribution of nontrack vertex energy is used to decompose the signal sample into reaction categories, and cross sections are determined for the exclusive reactions μ + π − n and μ + π − p . A similar treatment applied to the published MINERvA sample ¯ ν μ CH → μ + π 0 X [nucleon(s)] has determined the μ + π 0 n cross section, and the latter is used with σ ( π − n ) and σ ( π − p ) to carry out an isospin decomposition of ¯ ν μ -induced CC ( π ) . The ratio of magnitudes and relative phase for isospin amplitudes A 3 and A 1 thereby obtained are: R ¯ ν = 0.99 ± 0.19 and ϕ ¯ ν = 9 3 ° ± 7 ° . Our results are in agreement with bubble chamber measurements made four decades ago

Measurement of ¯ ν μ charged-current single π − production on hydrocarbon in the few-GeV region using MINERvA

The antineutrino scattering channel ¯ ν μ CH → μ + π − X (nucleon(s)) is analyzed in the incident energy range 1.5 to 10 GeV using the MINERvA detector at Fermilab. Differential cross sections are reported as functions of μ + momentum and production angle, π − kinetic energy and production angle, and antineutrino energy and squared four-momentum transfer. Distribution shapes are generally reproduced by simulations based on the GENIE, NuWro, and GiBUU event generators, however GENIE (GiBUU) overestimates (underestimates) the cross section normalizations by 8% (10%). Comparisons of data with the GENIE-based reference simulation probe conventional treatments of cross sections and pion intranuclear rescattering. The distribution of nontrack vertex energy is used to decompose the signal sample into reaction categories, and cross sections are determined for the exclusive reactions μ + π − n and μ + π − p . A similar treatment applied to the published MINERvA sample ¯ ν μ CH → μ + π 0 X [nucleon(s)] has determined the μ + π 0 n cross section, and the latter is used with σ ( π − n ) and σ ( π − p ) to carry out an isospin decomposition of ¯ ν μ -induced CC ( π ) . The ratio of magnitudes and relative phase for isospin amplitudes A 3 and A 1 thereby obtained are: R ¯ ν = 0.99 ± 0.19 and ϕ ¯ ν = 9 3 ° ± 7 ° . Our results are in agreement with bubble chamber measurements made four decades ago

Measurement of quasielastic-like neutrino scattering at (E-v) similar to 3.5 GeV on a hydrocarbon target

MINERvA presents a new analysis of neutrino induced quasielastic-like interactions in a hydrocarbon tracking target. We report a double-differential cross section using the muon transverse and longitudinal momentum. In addition, differential cross sections as a function of the square of the four-momentum transferred and the neutrino energy are calculated using a quasielastic hypothesis. Finally, an analysis of energy deposited near the interaction vertex is presented. These results are compared to modified genie predictions as well as a NuWro prediction. All results use a data set produced by 3.34×1020 protons on target creating a neutrino beam with a peak energy of approximately 3.5 GeV

Measurement of quasielastic-like neutrino scattering at (E-v) similar to 3.5 GeV on a hydrocarbon target

MINERvA presents a new analysis of neutrino induced quasielastic-like interactions in a hydrocarbon tracking target. We report a double-differential cross section using the muon transverse and longitudinal momentum. In addition, differential cross sections as a function of the square of the four-momentum transferred and the neutrino energy are calculated using a quasielastic hypothesis. Finally, an analysis of energy deposited near the interaction vertex is presented. These results are compared to modified genie predictions as well as a NuWro prediction. All results use a data set produced by 3.34×1020 protons on target creating a neutrino beam with a peak energy of approximately 3.5 GeV

Neutron measurements from antineutrino hydrocarbon reactions

Charged-current antineutrino interactions on a hydrocarbon scintillator in the MINERvA detector are used to study activity from their final-state neutrons. To ensure that most of the neutrons are from the primary interaction, rather than hadronic reinteractions in the detector, the sample is limited to momentum transfers below 0.8 GeV/c. From 16 129 interactions, 15 246 neutral particle candidates are observed. The reference simulation predicts 64% of these candidates are due to neutrons from the antineutrino interaction directly but also overpredicts the number of candidates by 15% overall. This discrepancy is beyond the standard uncertainty estimates for models of neutrino interactions and neutron propagation in the detector. We explore these two aspects of the models using the measured distributions for energy deposition, time of flight, position, and speed. We also use multiplicity distributions to evaluate the presence of a two-nucleon knockout process. These results provide critical new information toward a complete description of the hadronic final state of neutrino interactions, which is vital to neutrino oscillation experiments

Neutron measurements from antineutrino hydrocarbon reactions

Charged-current antineutrino interactions on a hydrocarbon scintillator in the MINERvA detector are used to study activity from their final-state neutrons. To ensure that most of the neutrons are from the primary interaction, rather than hadronic reinteractions in the detector, the sample is limited to momentum transfers below 0.8 GeV/c. From 16 129 interactions, 15 246 neutral particle candidates are observed. The reference simulation predicts 64% of these candidates are due to neutrons from the antineutrino interaction directly but also overpredicts the number of candidates by 15% overall. This discrepancy is beyond the standard uncertainty estimates for models of neutrino interactions and neutron propagation in the detector. We explore these two aspects of the models using the measured distributions for energy deposition, time of flight, position, and speed. We also use multiplicity distributions to evaluate the presence of a two-nucleon knockout process. These results provide critical new information toward a complete description of the hadronic final state of neutrino interactions, which is vital to neutrino oscillation experiments