Inclusive charged-current neutrino-nucleus reactions calculated with the relativistic quasiparticle random phase approximation

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive relativistic framework for calculating inclusive charged-current neutrino-nucleus cross sections, incorporating nuclear structure models and analyzing various nuclei relevant for neutrino detection and supernova studies.

Contribution

It introduces a consistent relativistic approach combining mean-field and quasiparticle methods to improve neutrino-nucleus reaction calculations.

Findings

Cross sections agree with existing data and models.

Contribution of multipole excitations varies with neutrino energy.

Reactions on $^{16}$O and $^{208}$Pb depend on temperature and chemical potential.

Abstract

Inclusive neutrino-nucleus cross sections are calculated using a consistent relativistic mean-field theoretical framework. The weak lepton-hadron interaction is expressed in the standard current-current form, the nuclear ground state is described with the relativistic Hartree-Bogoliubov model, and the relevant transitions to excited nuclear states are calculated in the relativistic quasiparticle random phase approximation. Illustrative test calculations are performed for charged-current neutrino reactions on $^{12}$C, $^{16}$O, $^{56}$Fe, and $^{208}$Pb, and results compared with previous studies and available data. Using the experimental neutrino fluxes, the averaged cross sections are evaluated for nuclei of interest for neutrino detectors. We analyze the total neutrino-nucleus cross sections, and the evolution of the contribution of the different multipole excitations as a function of neutrino energy. The cross sections for reactions of supernova neutrinos on $^{16}$O and $^{208}$Pb target nuclei are analyzed as functions of the temperature and chemical potential.