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

Author:

NOvA Collaboration

Keyword:

High Energy Physics - Experiment, High Energy Physics - Experiment (hep-ex)

journal:

FERMILAB-PUB-23-026-AD-CSAID-PPD

date:

2023-06-05 16:00:00

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.

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