One-pion production in neutrino-nucleus collisions

TL;DR

This paper extends a neutrino-induced pion production model to nuclear targets, incorporating in-medium effects and resonances, and compares the results with MiniBooNE experimental data, highlighting the impact of final state interactions.

Contribution

The authors adapt a neutrino pion production model for nuclear targets, including in-medium corrections and higher resonances, extending its validity up to 2 GeV neutrino energies.

Findings

Total cross sections are below experimental data above 1 GeV.

Agreement improves when pion final state interactions are neglected.

Differential cross sections also show better agreement without final state interactions.

Abstract

We use our model for neutrino pion production on the nucleon to study pion production on a nucleus. The model is conveniently modified to include in-medium corrections and its validity is extended up to 2 GeV neutrino energies by the inclusion of new resonant contributions in the production process. Our results are compared with recent MiniBooNE data measured in mineral oil. Our total cross sections are below data for neutrino energies above 1 GeV. As with other theoretical calculations, the agreement with data improves if we neglect pion final state interaction. This is also the case for differential cross sections convoluted over the neutrino flux.