Superscaling Predictions for Neutral Current Quasielastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering

TL;DR

This paper investigates the use of superscaling ideas within the relativistic impulse approximation to predict neutral-current quasielastic neutrino-nucleus scattering cross sections, showing that a universal scaling function can describe electroweak processes.

Contribution

It demonstrates that superscaling predictions within the relativistic impulse approximation are applicable to neutral-current neutrino scattering, supporting a universal scaling function approach.

Findings

RIA-RMF model reproduces experimental scaling functions

Superscaling holds well across different nuclei

Universal scaling function describes electroweak processes

Abstract

The application of superscaling ideas to predict neutral-current (NC) quasielastic (QE) neutrino cross sections is investigated. Results obtained within the relativistic impulse approximation (RIA) using the same relativistic mean field potential (RMF) for both initial and final nucleons -- a model that reproduces the experimental (e,e') scaling function -- are used to illustrate the ideas involved. While NC reactions are not so well suited for scaling analyses, to a large extent the RIA-RMF predictions do exhibit superscaling. Independence of the scaled response on the nuclear species is very well fulfilled. The RIA-RMF NC superscaling function is in good agreement with the experimental (e,e') one. The idea that electroweak processes can be described with a universal scaling function, provided that mild restrictions on the kinematics are assumed, is shown to be valid.