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Title: Evidence for Neutral-Current Diffractive π0 Production from Hydrogen in Neutrino Interactions on Hydrocarbon

Abstract

Here, the MINERvA experiment observes an excess of events containing electromagnetic showers relative to the expectation from Monte Carlo simulations in neutral-current neutrino interactions with mean beam energy of 4.5 GeV on a hydrocarbon target. The excess is characterized and found to be consistent with neutral-current π0 production with a broad energy distribution peaking at 7 GeV and a total cross section of 0.26 $$\pm$$ 0.02 (stat) $$\pm$$ 0.08 (sys) x $$10^{-39} cm^{2}$$. The angular distribution, electromagnetic shower energy, and spatial distribution of the energy depositions of the excess are consistent with expectations from neutrino neutral-current diffractive neutral pion production from hydrogen in the hydrocarbon target. These data comprise the first direct experimental observation and constraint for a reaction that poses an important background process in neutrino oscillation experiments searching for $$\nu_{\mu}$$to $$\nu_e$$ oscillations.

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP)
Contributing Org.:
MINERvA Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1251202
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1321039
Report Number(s):
FERMILAB-PUB-16-108-ND; arXiv:1604.01728
Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007; PRLTAO; 1444347
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-07CH11359
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Physical Review Letters
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 0031-9007
Publisher:
American Physical Society (APS)
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; 72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Citation Formats

Wolcott, J., Aliaga, L., Altinok, O., Bercellie, A., Betancourt, M., Bodek, A., Bravar, A., Budd, H., Cai, T., Carneiro, M. F., Chvojka, J., da Motta, H., Devan, J., Dytman, S. A., Díaz, G. A., Eberly, B., Endress, E., Felix, J., Fields, L., Fine, R., Galindo, R., Gallagher, H., Golan, T., Gran, R., Harris, D. A., Higuera, A., Hurtado, K., Kiveni, M., Kleykamp, J., Kordosky, M., Le, T., Maher, E., Manly, S., Mann, W. A., Marshall, C. M., Martinez Caicedo, D. A., McFarland, K. S., McGivern, C. L., McGowan, A. M., Messerly, B., Miller, J., Mislivec, A., Morfín, J. G., Mousseau, J., Naples, D., Nelson, J. K., Norrick, A., Nuruzzaman,, Osta, J., Paolone, V., Park, J., Patrick, C. E., Perdue, G. N., Rakotondravohitra, L., Ramirez, M. A., Ray, H., Ren, L., Rimal, D., Rodrigues, P. A., Ruterbories, D., Schellman, H., Schmitz, D. W., Solano Salinas, C. J., Sánchez Falero, S., Tagg, N., Tice, B. G., Valencia, E., Walton, T., Wospakrik, M., and Zhang, D. Evidence for Neutral-Current Diffractive π0 Production from Hydrogen in Neutrino Interactions on Hydrocarbon. United States: N. p., 2016. Web. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.111801.
Wolcott, J., Aliaga, L., Altinok, O., Bercellie, A., Betancourt, M., Bodek, A., Bravar, A., Budd, H., Cai, T., Carneiro, M. F., Chvojka, J., da Motta, H., Devan, J., Dytman, S. A., Díaz, G. A., Eberly, B., Endress, E., Felix, J., Fields, L., Fine, R., Galindo, R., Gallagher, H., Golan, T., Gran, R., Harris, D. A., Higuera, A., Hurtado, K., Kiveni, M., Kleykamp, J., Kordosky, M., Le, T., Maher, E., Manly, S., Mann, W. A., Marshall, C. M., Martinez Caicedo, D. A., McFarland, K. S., McGivern, C. L., McGowan, A. M., Messerly, B., Miller, J., Mislivec, A., Morfín, J. G., Mousseau, J., Naples, D., Nelson, J. K., Norrick, A., Nuruzzaman,, Osta, J., Paolone, V., Park, J., Patrick, C. E., Perdue, G. N., Rakotondravohitra, L., Ramirez, M. A., Ray, H., Ren, L., Rimal, D., Rodrigues, P. A., Ruterbories, D., Schellman, H., Schmitz, D. W., Solano Salinas, C. J., Sánchez Falero, S., Tagg, N., Tice, B. G., Valencia, E., Walton, T., Wospakrik, M., & Zhang, D. Evidence for Neutral-Current Diffractive π0 Production from Hydrogen in Neutrino Interactions on Hydrocarbon. United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.111801
Wolcott, J., Aliaga, L., Altinok, O., Bercellie, A., Betancourt, M., Bodek, A., Bravar, A., Budd, H., Cai, T., Carneiro, M. F., Chvojka, J., da Motta, H., Devan, J., Dytman, S. A., Díaz, G. A., Eberly, B., Endress, E., Felix, J., Fields, L., Fine, R., Galindo, R., Gallagher, H., Golan, T., Gran, R., Harris, D. A., Higuera, A., Hurtado, K., Kiveni, M., Kleykamp, J., Kordosky, M., Le, T., Maher, E., Manly, S., Mann, W. A., Marshall, C. M., Martinez Caicedo, D. A., McFarland, K. S., McGivern, C. L., McGowan, A. M., Messerly, B., Miller, J., Mislivec, A., Morfín, J. G., Mousseau, J., Naples, D., Nelson, J. K., Norrick, A., Nuruzzaman,, Osta, J., Paolone, V., Park, J., Patrick, C. E., Perdue, G. N., Rakotondravohitra, L., Ramirez, M. A., Ray, H., Ren, L., Rimal, D., Rodrigues, P. A., Ruterbories, D., Schellman, H., Schmitz, D. W., Solano Salinas, C. J., Sánchez Falero, S., Tagg, N., Tice, B. G., Valencia, E., Walton, T., Wospakrik, M., and Zhang, D. Thu . "Evidence for Neutral-Current Diffractive π0 Production from Hydrogen in Neutrino Interactions on Hydrocarbon". United States. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.111801. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1251202.
@article{osti_1251202,
title = {Evidence for Neutral-Current Diffractive π0 Production from Hydrogen in Neutrino Interactions on Hydrocarbon},
author = {Wolcott, J. and Aliaga, L. and Altinok, O. and Bercellie, A. and Betancourt, M. and Bodek, A. and Bravar, A. and Budd, H. and Cai, T. and Carneiro, M. F. and Chvojka, J. and da Motta, H. and Devan, J. and Dytman, S. A. and Díaz, G. A. and Eberly, B. and Endress, E. and Felix, J. and Fields, L. and Fine, R. and Galindo, R. and Gallagher, H. and Golan, T. and Gran, R. and Harris, D. A. and Higuera, A. and Hurtado, K. and Kiveni, M. and Kleykamp, J. and Kordosky, M. and Le, T. and Maher, E. and Manly, S. and Mann, W. A. and Marshall, C. M. and Martinez Caicedo, D. A. and McFarland, K. S. and McGivern, C. L. and McGowan, A. M. and Messerly, B. and Miller, J. and Mislivec, A. and Morfín, J. G. and Mousseau, J. and Naples, D. and Nelson, J. K. and Norrick, A. and Nuruzzaman, and Osta, J. and Paolone, V. and Park, J. and Patrick, C. E. and Perdue, G. N. and Rakotondravohitra, L. and Ramirez, M. A. and Ray, H. and Ren, L. and Rimal, D. and Rodrigues, P. A. and Ruterbories, D. and Schellman, H. and Schmitz, D. W. and Solano Salinas, C. J. and Sánchez Falero, S. and Tagg, N. and Tice, B. G. and Valencia, E. and Walton, T. and Wospakrik, M. and Zhang, D.},
abstractNote = {Here, the MINERvA experiment observes an excess of events containing electromagnetic showers relative to the expectation from Monte Carlo simulations in neutral-current neutrino interactions with mean beam energy of 4.5 GeV on a hydrocarbon target. The excess is characterized and found to be consistent with neutral-current π0 production with a broad energy distribution peaking at 7 GeV and a total cross section of 0.26 $\pm$ 0.02 (stat) $\pm$ 0.08 (sys) x $10^{-39} cm^{2}$. The angular distribution, electromagnetic shower energy, and spatial distribution of the energy depositions of the excess are consistent with expectations from neutrino neutral-current diffractive neutral pion production from hydrogen in the hydrocarbon target. These data comprise the first direct experimental observation and constraint for a reaction that poses an important background process in neutrino oscillation experiments searching for $\nu_{\mu}$to $\nu_e$ oscillations.},
doi = {10.1103/PhysRevLett.117.111801},
journal = {Physical Review Letters},
number = 11,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}

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