Charged current induced electron-proton scattering and the axial vector form factor

TL;DR

This paper analyzes various scattering observables in electron-proton interactions induced by charged currents, focusing on their sensitivity to axial and weak form factors, relevant for neutrino experiments.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of spin asymmetries and polarization components in electron-proton scattering, including effects of time-reversal invariance assumptions.

Findings

Numerical results for cross sections and asymmetries are presented.

Sensitivities of observables to axial and weak electric form factors are examined.

The study offers potential constraints for axial form factor parameterization in neutrino experiments.

Abstract

We investigate the total scattering cross section ($\sigma$), differential cross section ($\frac{d\sigma}{dQ^2}$), the longitudinal ($A_L(E_e,Q^2)$) and perpendicular ($A_P(E_e,Q^2)$) spin asymmetries of the polarized target proton, as well as the longitudinal ($P_L(E_e,Q^2)$), perpendicular ($P_P(E_e,Q^2)$), and transverse ($P_T(E_e,Q^2)$) polarization components of the final neutron, in the weak charged current induced electron-proton scattering relevant to the experiments being performed at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (JLab) and Mainz Microtron (MAMI). The analysis is performed assuming time-reversal (T) invariance as well as without assuming T invariance, allowing for a nonvanishing transverse polarization component of the final nucleon, perpendicular to the production plane. Numerical results are presented for all observables, and their sensitivities to the axial vector and weak electric form factors are examined. This study may be useful in the neutrino oscillation experiments to provide an alternative constrain on the parameterization of axial vector form factor, which currently has large uncertainties.