Analysis of the Q^2-dependence of charged-current quasielastic processes in neutrino-nucleus interactions

TL;DR

This paper investigates discrepancies between observed and predicted Q^2 distributions in neutrino-nucleus quasielastic interactions, attributing them to model limitations and proposing new analysis variables.

Contribution

It identifies the breakdown of the impulse approximation and Fermi gas model as causes of discrepancies and suggests new kinematic variables for better data analysis.

Findings

Discrepancies likely due to model limitations

Proposed new kinematic variables for analysis

Discussion on data extraction issues

Abstract

We discuss the observed disagreement between the Q^2 distributions of neutrino-nucleus quasielastic events, measured by a number of recent experiments, and the predictions of Monte Carlo simulations based on the relativistic Fermi gas model. The results of our analysis suggest that these discrepancies are likely to be ascribable to both the breakdown of the impulse approximation and the limitations of the Fermi gas description. Several issues related to the extraction of the Q^2 distributions from the experimental data are also discussed, and new kinematical variables, which would allow for an improved analysis, are proposed.