Abstract
We report the first electron neutrino cross section measurements on argon, based on data collected by the ArgoNeuT experiment running in the GeV-scale NuMI beamline at Fermilab. A flux-averaged $\nu_e + \overline{\nu}_e$ total and a lepton angle differential cross section are extracted using 13 $\nu_e$ and $\overline{\nu}_e$ events identified with fully-automated selection and reconstruction. We employ electromagnetic-induced shower characterization and analysis tools developed to identify $\nu_e/\overline{\nu}_e$-like events among complex interaction topologies present in ArgoNeuT data ($\langle E_{\bar{\nu}_e} \rangle = 4.3$ GeV and $\langle E_{\nu_e} \rangle = 10.5$ GeV). The techniques are widely applicable to searches for electron-flavor appearance at short- and long-baseline using liquid argon time projection chamber technology. Notably, the data-driven studies of GeV-scale $\nu_e/\overline{\nu}_e$ interactions presented in this Letter probe an energy regime relevant for future DUNE oscillation physics.
Highlights
We report the first electron neutrino cross section measurements on argon, based on data collected by the ArgoNeuT experiment running in the GeV-scale NuMI beamline at Fermilab
Algorithms for effectively interpreting the abundance of information provided in liquid argon time projection chamber (LArTPC) data are critical for extracting physics results. This is true for DUNE, which will rely on the inclusive set of all νe=νe charged current (CC) interactions in the few-GeV energy range [2] rather than an exclusive
Background events in a νe=νe search in DUNE present challenges; even for underground detectors with low or negligible cosmic contamination, the electromagnetic (EM) showers characteristic of νe=νe events are readily mimicked by numerous neutrinoinduced background processes, especially νμ=νμ CC and neutral current (NC) interactions featuring π0 → γγ and non-negligible Δ → Nγ contributions
Summary
We report the first electron neutrino cross section measurements on argon, based on data collected by the ArgoNeuT experiment running in the GeV-scale NuMI beamline at Fermilab. Even with LArTPC technology and its ability to provide mm-scale-resolution pictures of the events in question, hit and cluster finding, shower formation, and neutrino energy reconstruction and flavor identification, remain challenging.
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