New Anti-Neutrino Cross-Section Results from MiniBooNE

TL;DR

This paper presents the first precise measurements of antineutrino charged-current quasielastic and neutral-current elastic cross sections below 1 GeV, improving understanding of antineutrino interactions for neutrino oscillation research.

Contribution

It provides new experimental data on antineutrino cross sections in a previously unexplored energy range, utilizing innovative background measurement techniques including charge separation without a magnet.

Findings

First measurements of antineutrino CCQE and NCE cross sections below 1 GeV.

Implementation of data-driven background measurements and charge separation.

Results constrain models for neutrino oscillation experiments.

Abstract

The first measurements of antineutrino charged-current quasielastic ($\numub$ CCQE, $\numu + N \to \mup + N'$) and neutral-current elastic ($\numub$ NCE, $\numu + N \to \numu + N$) cross sections with $< E_{\bar{\nu}} >$ $<$ 1 GeV are presented. To maximize the precision of these measurements, many data-driven background measurements were executed, including a first demonstration of charge separation using a non-magnetized detector. Apart from extending our knowledge of antineutrino interactions by probing a new energy range, these measurements constrain signal and background processes for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments and also carry implications for intra-nuclear interactions.