Systematic uncertainties in long-baseline neutrino-oscillation experiments

TL;DR

This paper reviews the main sources of systematic uncertainties in long-baseline neutrino oscillation experiments, emphasizing nuclear effects and detector response, and highlights the need for improved models and testing to achieve precise measurements.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of systematic uncertainties, especially nuclear effects and detector responses, and advocates for advanced modeling and experimental validation.

Findings

Accurate nuclear models are crucial for neutrino cross-section predictions.

Testing models against lepton-scattering data improves reliability.

Reducing uncertainties is essential for future neutrino oscillation measurements.

Abstract

Future neutrino-oscillation experiments are expected to bring definite answers to the questions of neutrino-mass hierarchy and violation of charge-parity symmetry in the lepton sector. To realize this ambitious program it is necessary to ensure a significant reduction of uncertainties, particularly those related to neutrino-energy reconstruction. In this paper, we discuss different sources of systematic uncertainties, paying special attention to those arising from nuclear effects and detector response. By analyzing nuclear effects we show the importance of developing accurate theoretical models, capable to provide quantitative description of neutrino cross sections, together with the relevance of their implementation in Monte Carlo generators and extensive testing against lepton-scattering data. We also point out the fundamental role of efforts aiming to determine detector responses in test-beam exposures.