Measurement of ν¯μ charged-current single π− production on hydrocarbon in the few-GeV region using MINERvA

Abstract

The antineutrino scattering channelνµ CH → µ + π − X(nucleon(s)) is analyzed in the incident energy range 1.5 to 10 GeV using the MINERvA detector at Fermilab. Differential cross sections are reported as functions of µ + momentum and production angle, π − kinetic energy and production angle, and antineutrino energy and squared four-momentum transfer. Distribution shapes are generally reproduced by simulations based on the GENIE, NuWro, and GiBUU event generators, however GENIE (GiBUU) overestimates (underestimates) the cross-section normalizations by 8% (10%). Comparisons of data with the GENIE-based reference simulation probe conventional treatments of cross sections and pion intranuclear rescattering. The distribution of non-track vertex energy is used to decompose the signal sample into reaction categories, and cross sections are determined for the exclusive reactions µ + π − n and µ + π − p. A similar treatment applied to the published MINERvA sampleνµ CH → µ + π 0 X(nucleon(s)) has determined the µ + π 0 n cross section, and the latter is used with σ(π − n) and σ(π − p) to carry out an isospin decomposition ofνµ-induced CC(π). The ratio of magnitudes and relative phase for isospin amplitudes A3 and A1 thereby obtained are: Rν = 0.99 ± 0.19 and φν = 93 • ± 7 • . Our results are in agreement with bubble chamber measurements made four decades ago.

Recent highlights from GENIE v3

“…The right panel of Fig. 13 shows a similar comparison to a measurement by the MINERνA Collaboration of single π − production in CC ν μ scattering on hydrocarbon [113]. In this case, the choice of CMCs in the comparison emphasizes differences in the RES model and FSIs.…”

Recent highlights from GENIE v3

“…The right panel of Fig. 12 shows a similar comparison to a measurement by the MINERνA Collaboration of single π − production in CC ν µ scattering on hydrocarbon [109]. In this case, the choice of CMCs in the comparison emphasizes differences in the RES model and FSIs.…”

Measurement of inclusive charged-current $ν_μ$ cross sections as a function of muon kinematics at $\sim6~GeV$ on hydrocarbon

“…For p || between 3 and 15 GeV and low values of p t , the cross section is overpredicted. In this region the dominant process is resonant pion production which has been previously measured by MINERvA [54][55][56][57][58][59], MiniBooNE [60], and T2K [61]. Many of these measurements, including a MINOS measurement [62], indicate the need to reduce the predicted cross section at low Q 2 which corresponds here to regions of low p t .…”