Improved Parameterization of $K^+$ Production in p-Be Collisions at Low Energy Using Feynman Scaling

TL;DR

This paper introduces an improved Feynman scaling parameterization for $K^+$ production in p-Be collisions at low energies, enhancing neutrino flux simulations for experiments like Fermilab's BNB.

Contribution

The paper develops a theoretically motivated Feynman scaling model that better describes low-energy kaon production than previous models like Sanford-Wang.

Findings

The new parameterization accurately reproduces $K^+$ production data at 8.89 to 24 GeV.

It improves neutrino flux predictions for the Fermilab BNB.

The model aligns well with SciBooNE neutrino interaction data.

Abstract

This paper describes an improved parameterization for proton-beryllium production of secondary $K^{+}$ mesons for experiments with primary proton beams from 8.89 to 24 GeV. The parameterization is based on Feynman scaling in which the invariant cross section is described as a function of $x_{F}$ and $p_{T}$. This method is theoretically motivated and provides a better description of the energy dependence of kaon production at low beam energies than other parameterizations such as the commonly used "Modified Sanford-Wang" model. This Feynman scaling parameterization has been used for the simulation of the neutrino flux from the Booster Neutrino Beam (BNB) at Fermilab and has been shown to agree with the neutrino interaction data from the SciBooNE experiment. This parameterization will also be useful for future neutrino experiments with low primary beam energies, such as those planned for the Project X accelerator.