Consistent analysis of neutral- and charged-current (anti)neutrino scattering off carbon

TL;DR

This paper analyzes neutrino and antineutrino scattering data on carbon using a spectral function approach, finding consistency in axial mass measurements but limited evidence for multinucleon effects explaining cross section normalization discrepancies.

Contribution

It provides a unified analysis of neutral- and charged-current scattering on carbon, clarifying the role of multinucleon effects and reconciling different experimental results.

Findings

Axial mass from MiniBooNE shape analysis agrees with BNL E734 and NOMAD.

Combined NCE and CCQE analysis does not support large multinucleon contributions.

Results suggest limited impact of multinucleon effects on cross section normalization.

Abstract

Good understanding of the cross sections for (anti)neutrino scattering off nuclear targets in the few-GeV energy region is a prerequisite for the correct interpretation of results of ongoing and planned oscillation experiments. To clarify a possible source of disagreement between recent measurements of the cross sections on carbon, we analyze the available data within an approach based on the realistic spectral function of carbon, treating neutral-current elastic (NCE) and charged-current quasielastic (CCQE) processes on equal footing. We show that the axial mass from the shape analysis of the MiniBooNE data is in good agreement with the results reported by the BNL E734 and NOMAD Collaborations. However, the combined analysis of the NCE and CCQE data does not seem to support the contribution of multinucleon final states being large enough to explain the normalization of the MiniBooNE-reported cross sections.