An accurate evaluation of electron (anti-)neutrino scattering on nucleons

TL;DR

This paper provides a precise evaluation of electron and antineutrino quasi-elastic scattering cross sections on nucleons within the 1-100 MeV energy range, crucial for neutrino experiments and astrophysics.

Contribution

It offers an improved, detailed calculation of neutrino-nucleon cross sections with uncertainty estimates, including the negligible impact of second-class currents.

Findings

Cross section uncertainties are minimized for current experimental needs.

Second-class currents have a negligible effect on the cross section.

The results are relevant for neutrino detection from reactors and supernovae.

Abstract

We discuss as accurately as possible the cross section of quasi-elastic scattering of electron (anti-)neutrinos on nucleons, also known as inverse beta decay in the case of antineutrinos. We focus on the moderate energy range from a few MeV up to hundreds of MeV, which includes neutrinos from reactors and supernovae. We assess the uncertainty on the cross section, which is relevant to experimental advances and increasingly large statistical samples. We estimate the effects of second-class currents, showing that they are small and negligible for current applications.