Neutron production in antineutrino interactions can lead to bias in energy reconstruction in neutrino
oscillation experiments, but these interactions have rarely been studied. MINERvA previously studied
neutron production at an average antineutrino energy of ∼3 GeV in 2016 and found deficiencies in leading
models. In this paper, the MINERvA 6 GeV average antineutrino energy dataset is shown to have similar
disagreements. A measurement of the cross section for an antineutrino to produce two or more neutrons and
have low visible energy is presented as an experiment-independent way to explore neutron production
modeling. This cross section disagrees with several leading models’ predictions. Neutron modeling
techniques from nuclear physics are used to quantify neutron detection uncertainties on this result.
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Adjusting neutrino interaction models and evaluating uncertainties using NOvA near detector data
Abstract The two-detector design of the NOvA neutrino oscillation experiment, in which two functionally identical detectors are exposed to an intense neutrino beam, aids in canceling leading order effects of cross-section uncertainties. However, limited knowledge of neutrino interaction cross sections still gives rise to some of the largest systematic uncertainties in current oscillation measurements. We show contemporary models of neutrino interactions to be discrepant with data from NOvA, consistent with discrepancies seen in other experiments. Adjustments to neutrino interaction models in GENIE are presented, creating an effective model that improves agreement with our data. We also describe systematic uncertainties on these models, including uncertainties on multi-nucleon interactions from a newly developed procedure using NOvA near detector data.
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- PAR ID:
- 10228817
- Author(s) / Creator(s):
- ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; more »
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- The European Physical Journal C
- Volume:
- 80
- Issue:
- 12
- ISSN:
- 1434-6044
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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- Free Publicly Accessible Full Text
-
Accepted Manuscript1.0
- Journal Article:
- https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-020-08577-5
