Measurements of charged current reactions ofνμon12C

Abstract

Charged current scattering of ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ on ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ has been studied using a ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{+}$ decay-in-flight ${\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}}$ beam at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. A sample of $66.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}9.1$ events satisfying criteria for the exclusive reaction ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}({\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}},{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}{)}^{12}{\mathrm{N}}_{\mathrm{g}.\mathrm{s}.}$ was obtained using a large liquid scintillator neutrino detector. The observed flux-averaged cross section $(5.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.8\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.0)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}41} {\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ agrees well with reliable theoretical expectations. A measurement was also obtained for the inclusive cross section to all accessible ${}^{12}\mathrm{N}$ states ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}({\ensuremath{\nu}}_{\ensuremath{\mu}},{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}})X.$ This flux-averaged cross section is $(10.6\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.8)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}40} {\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$ which is lower than present theoretical calculations.