Abstract
The physics of neutrino-nucleus cross sections is a critical probe of the Standard Model and beyond. A precise understanding is also needed to accurately deduce astrophysical neutrino spectra. At energies above $\sim 5$ GeV, the cross section is dominated by deep inelastic scattering, mediated by weak bosons. In addition, there are subdominant processes where the hadronic coupling is through virtual photons, $\gamma^\ast$: (on-shell) $W$-boson production (e.g., where the underlying interaction is $\nu_\ell + \gamma^\ast \rightarrow \ell^- + W^+$) and trident production (e.g., where it is $\nu + \gamma^\ast \rightarrow \nu + \ell_1^- + \ell_2^+$). These processes become increasingly relevant at TeV--PeV energies. We undertake the first systematic approach to these processes (and those with hadronic couplings through virtual $W$ and $Z$ bosons), treating them together, avoiding common approximations, considering all neutrino flavors and final states, and covering the energy range $10\,$--$10^8$ GeV. In particular, we present the first complete calculation of $W$-boson production and the first calculation of trident production at TeV--PeV energies. When we use the same assumptions as in prior work, we recover all of their major results. In a companion paper, we show that these processes should be taken into account for IceCube-Gen2.
Highlights
The interactions of neutrinos with quarks, nucleons, and nuclei are a cornerstone of the Standard Model
The maximum ratios of W-boson production to charged-current deep inelastic scattering (CCDIS) are ≃14%, ≃10%, and ≃7% on iron, and ≃11%, ≃7.5%, and ≃5% on the Earth’s averaged composition. (The larger the charge number of a nucleus, the larger the ratio is, due to the coherent component ∝ Z2.) Trident CC and CC þ NC channels are ≃0.1 of these numbers, same as above. [As a comparison, the ratio for νe-iron case by Seckel [52] is 25%, much larger than ours (14%).] This affects the absorption rate of high-energy neutrinos when propagating through the Earth, which affects the measurement of neutrino cross sections by IceCube [31,32,33,34,35]
The interactions of neutrinos with elementary particles, nucleons, and nuclei are a cornerstone of the Standard Model, and a crucial input for studying neutrino mixing, neutrino astrophysics, and new physics
Summary
The interactions of neutrinos with quarks, nucleons, and nuclei are a cornerstone of the Standard Model These test neutrino couplings to hadrons and probe the internal structure of hadronic states [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]. To the extent that the cross section is understood—e.g., the claimed theoretical precision (from the parton-distribution functions) at 107 GeV is ≃2% [22] or ≃1.5% [23]—the measured event spectra can be used to accurately deduce neutrino spectra and flavor ratios, allowing tests of both astrophysical emission models and neutrino properties
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