Measurement of $\nu_\mu$ Charged-Current Inclusive $\pi^0$ Production in the NOvA Near Detector

TL;DR

This paper reports measurements of muon neutrino charged-current inclusive pi-zero production cross sections in the NOvA Near Detector, providing detailed differential data and comparing results with GENIE predictions.

Contribution

First measurement of $ u_$ CC inclusive $$ production cross sections in the 1-5 GeV energy range using NOvA data, with detailed differential cross sections and comparison to GENIE.

Findings

Measured total cross section: (3.57 ± 0.44)×10^{-39} cm^2

Total cross section is 7.5% higher than GENIE prediction

Differential cross sections align with theoretical models within errors

Abstract

Cross sections for the interaction $\nu_\mu A\rightarrow\mu^-\pi^0 X$ with neutrino energies between 1 and 5~GeV are measured using a sample of 165k selected events collected in the NOvA experiment's Near Detector, a hydrocarbon-based detector exposed to the NuMI neutrino beam at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. Results are presented as a flux-averaged total cross section and as differential cross sections in the momenta and angles of the outgoing muon and $\pi^0$, the total four-momentum transfer, and the invariant mass of the hadronic system. Comparisons are made with predictions from a reference version of the GENIE neutrino interaction generator. The measured total cross section of ($3.57\pm0.44)\times10^{-39}\ \mathrm{cm}^2$ is $7.5\%$ higher than the GENIE prediction but is consistent within experimental errors.