Quasielastic Scattering at MiniBooNE Energies

TL;DR

This paper models neutrino-induced quasielastic scattering at MiniBooNE energies, incorporating nuclear effects like mean field potentials, spectral functions, and RPA correlations, to better match experimental data.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive nuclear model including RPA correlations and spectral functions to improve CCQE scattering predictions at MiniBooNE energies.

Findings

Good shape agreement with MiniBooNE Q2 distribution

Underestimates total cross section with standard axial mass

Highlights need for potential model adjustments

Abstract

We present our description of neutrino induced charged current quasielastic scattering (CCQE) in nuclei at energies relevant for the MiniBooNE experiment. In our framework, the nucleons, with initial momentum distributions according to the Local Fermi Gas model, move in a density- and momentum-dependent mean field potential. The broadening of the outgoing nucleons due to nucleon-nucleon interactions is taken into account by spectral functions. Long range (RPA) correlations renormalizing the electroweak strength in the medium are also incorporated. The background from resonance excitation events that do not lead to pions in the final state is also predicted by propagating the outgoing hadrons with the Giessen semiclassical BUU model in coupled channels (GiBUU). We achieve a good description of the shape of the CCQE Q2 distribution extracted from data by MiniBooNE, thanks to the inclusion of RPA correlations, but underestimate the integrated cross section when the standard value of MA = 1 GeV is used. Possible reasons for this mismatch are discussed.