Weak structure functions in $\nu_l-N$ and $\nu_l-A$ scattering with nonperturbative and higher order perturbative QCD effects

TL;DR

This paper investigates how perturbative and nonperturbative QCD corrections influence nucleon and nuclear structure functions in neutrino scattering, comparing theoretical predictions with experimental data and models across various nuclear targets.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of QCD effects on structure functions and nuclear medium effects in neutrino scattering, with detailed comparisons to experimental data and phenomenological models.

Findings

QCD corrections significantly affect structure function calculations.

Theoretical results agree well with MINERvA and other experimental data.

Predictions for antineutrino cross sections relevant for future experiments.

Abstract

We study the effect of various perturbative and nonperturbative QCD corrections on the free nucleon structure functions ($F_{iN}^{WI}(x,Q^2); ~i=1-3$) and their implications in the determination of nuclear structure functions. The evaluation of the nucleon structure functions has been performed by using the MMHT 2014 PDFs parameterization, and the TMC and HT effects are incorporated following the works of Schienbein et al. and Dasgupta et al., respectively. These nucleon structure functions are taken as input in the determination of nuclear structure functions. The numerical calculations for the $\nu_l/\bar\nu_l-A$ DIS process have been performed by incorporating the nuclear medium effects like Fermi motion, binding energy, nucleon correlations, mesonic contributions, shadowing and antishadowing in several nuclear targets such as carbon, polystyrene scintillator, iron and lead which are being used in MINERvA, and in argon nucleus which is relevant for the ArgoNeuT and DUNE experiments. The differential scattering cross sections $\frac{d^2\sigma_A^{WI}}{dx dy}$ and $(\frac{d\sigma_A^{WI}}{dx}/\frac{d\sigma_{CH}^{WI}}{dx})$ have also been studied in the kinematic region of MINERvA experiment. The theoretical results are compared with the recent experimental data of MINERvA and the earlier data of NuTeV, CCFR, CDHSW and CHORUS collaborations. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the present results for the ratio $(\frac{d\sigma_A^{WI}}{dx}/\frac{d\sigma_{CH}^{WI}}{dx})$, and the results from the MC generator GENIE and other phenomenological models of Bodek and Yang, and Cloet et al., has been performed in the context of MINERvA experiment. The predictions have also been made for $\bar\nu_l-A$ cross section relevant for MINERvA experiment.