Production asymmetry of $\nu_{\tau}$ neutrinos and ${\overline \nu}_{\tau}$ antineutrinos from a fixed target experiment SHiP

TL;DR

This paper models the production and asymmetry of tau neutrinos and antineutrinos from a fixed target experiment, considering various decay channels, fragmentation mechanisms, and strange quark asymmetries, with implications for experimental measurements.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed calculation of tau neutrino production asymmetries from multiple sources, including subleading fragmentation and strange quark asymmetry effects, which were not previously quantified.

Findings

Asymmetries in tau neutrino production are significant and quantifiable.

Subleading fragmentation mechanisms contribute notably to production asymmetries.

Predicted event rates for tau neutrinos in fixed target experiments are provided.

Abstract

We discuss how to calculate cross sections as well as rapidity, transverse momentum and energy distributions of $\nu_{\tau}$ and ${\overline \nu}_{\tau}$ produced from the direct $D_s^{\pm} \to \nu_{\tau}/{\overline \nu}_{\tau}$ and chain $D_s^{\pm} \to \tau^+/\tau^- \to \nu_{\tau}/{\overline \nu}_{\tau}$ decays in $p\!+^{96}\!\mathrm{Mo}$ scattering with proton beam $E_{\mathrm{lab}}$ = 400 GeV \textit{i.e.} at $\sqrt{s}_{NN}$ = 27.4 GeV. The $\tau$ decays are simulated with the help of the \textsc{Tauola} code and include multiple decay channels of $\tau$ in amounts proportional to their branching ratios. In our calculations we include $D_s^{\pm}$ from charm fragmentation $c \to D_s^{+}$ and $\bar c \to D_s^-$ as well as those from subleading fragmentation of strange quarks/antiquarks $s \to D_s^-$ and $\bar s \to D_s^+$. The $s \ne \bar s$ asymmetry of the strange quark content of proton is included. The different contributions to $D_s^{\pm}$ and $\nu_{\tau} / {\overline \nu}_{\tau}$ are shown explicitly. We discuss and quantify a not discussed so far effect of asymmetries for production of $\nu_{\tau}$ and ${\overline \nu}_{\tau}$ caused by subleading fragmentation mechanism and discuss related uncertainties. A potential measurement of the asymmetry is discussed. Estimates of a number of observed $\nu_{\tau} / \overline{\nu}_{\tau}$ in the $\nu_{\tau} / \overline{\nu}_{\tau} +^{208}\!\mathrm{Pb}$ reaction, with 2m long target are given with the help of the NuWro program. We refer also to the production of the high-energy (anti)neutrinos in the atmosphere.