Hadron production measurement from NA61/SHINE

Abstract

An overview of the recent NA61/SHINE results on determination of charged hadron yields in proton-carbon interactions is presented. The results aim to improve predictions of the neutrino flux in the T2K experiment. The data were recorded using a secondary-proton beam of 31 GeV/c momentum from CERN SPS scattered off a graphite target. To determine the inclusive production cross-section for charged pions, kaons and protons the thin (0.04 λI) target was exploited. Results of this measurement are used in the T2K beam simulation program to reweight hadron yields in the primary interaction vertex and allow to constrain directly about 60% of the neutrino flux. At the same time, NA61/SHINE results obtained with the T2K replica target (1.9 λI) would allow to constrain up to 90% of the neutrinos, thus reducing significantly a model dependence of the neutrino beam prediction.The proposal to collect hadroproduction data on thin and NuMI (Neutrinos at the Main Injector in Fermilab) replica targets exposed to a 120 GeV/c proton beam is reviewed. These data will be used further in neutrino beam calculations for the MINERvA, MINOS(+) and LBNE experiments.