Abstract
We have measured new observables based on the final state kinematic imbalances in the mesonless production of νμ+A→μ−+p+X in the MINERνA tracker. Components of the muon-proton momentum imbalances parallel (δpTy) and perpendicular (δpTx) to the momentum transfer in the transverse plane are found to be sensitive to the nuclear effects such as Fermi motion, binding energy, and non-quasielastic (QE) contributions. The QE peak location in δpTy is particularly sensitive to the binding energy. Differential cross sections are compared to predictions from different neutrino interaction models. The Fermi gas models presented in this study cannot simultaneously describe features such as QE peak location, width, and the non-QE events contributing to the signal process. Correcting the genie’s binding energy implementation according to theory causes better agreement with data. Hints of proton left-right asymmetry are observed in δpTx. Better modeling of the binding energy can reduce the bias in neutrino energy reconstruction, and these observables can be applied in current and future experiments to better constrain nuclear effects.9 MoreReceived 22 October 2019Revised 16 March 2020Accepted 16 April 2020DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.101.092001Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.Published by the American Physical SocietyPhysics Subject Headings (PhySH)Research AreasNeutrino interactionsParticles & Fields
Highlights
Neutrino oscillation experiments measure the final state particles produced by neutrino-nucleus scattering processes
One of the variations we study for each of δpTx and δpTy puts in a large, nonphysical, asymmetry in the relevant distribution
A careful internal MINERνA study indicates the main difference for this analysis is an increase of SN by 14.8 MeV from changes to the nuclear masses in GENIE
Summary
Neutrino oscillation experiments measure the final state particles produced by neutrino-nucleus scattering processes. We refer to the average energy transferred to the target nucleus to bring a bound nucleon inside the target onto the mass shell as the “removal energy,” represented in this paper by εNðPÞ for the neutron (proton) initial state in neutrino (antineutrino) interactions. At low energies like T2K, MicroBooNE, and the second oscillation maximum in DUNE, incorrect treatment of the interaction energy may significantly bias the reconstructed neutrino energy and will alter the expected kinematics of final state nucleons. Such effects are already a significant systematic in the measurement of δm223 in the T2K experiment [1,2].
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