Assessing the accuracy of the GENIE event generator with electron scattering data: Reduced cross section and nuclear transparency

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the accuracy of the GENIE neutrino event generator by benchmarking it against electron scattering data, revealing discrepancies at low missing momenta and highlighting the importance of nuclear models in neutrino physics.

Contribution

It introduces a method to compare neutrino generator predictions with electron scattering data using distorted spectral functions, improving model validation.

Findings

GENIE shows discrepancies below 80 MeV/c missing momentum.

The approach links electron scattering data to neutrino interaction modeling.

Highlights need for improved nuclear models in neutrino event generators.

Abstract

The reduced cross sections of the semi-exclusive $(l,l'p)$ lepton scattering process can be identified with distorted nuclear spectral functions. Irrespective of the type of interaction the distorted spectral function is determined mainly by intrinsic properties of the target and the ejected nucleon interaction with residual nucleus. Thus the reduced cross sections of the neutrino and electron scattering on nuclei as functions of nucleon missing momentum and energy are similar up to Coulomb corrections. Here we demonstrate the utility of this approach by benchmarking the GENIE neutrino event generator against a broad set of semi-exclusive electron scattering data for carbon target. We observe persistent disagreements between the generator predictions and data in the range of nucleon missing momenta less than 80 MeV/c. The approach presented in this paper provide a great opportunity to test better the accuracy of nuclear models of quasi-elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering, employed in neutrino event generators.