Multi-Beam Strategy for Neutrino-Nucleus Cross-Sections

Abstract

Neutrino oscillation experiments rely on the knowledge of neutrino-nucleus cross-sections. Generally, just one scattering process is used to model these cross-sections. However, it is not sufficient to describe the cross-sections by only one scattering process. In the region of momentum transfers Q^2 < 10^5 MeV, there are two dominant processes, charged-current quasi-elastic scattering and charged-current whole-nucleus scattering. Both of these processes must be accounted for in the analysis. Determining the neutrino cross-sections experimentally is difficult. In most experiments, only the scattering angle and energy of the charged lepton in the final state are known, although neither the recoiled target nor the energy of the incoming neutrino are measured. The Multi-Beam Strategy presented in this dissertation is a novel data-based analysis tool. It can incorporate several nuclear processes in the analysis and simultaneously reduce the model-dependence of the analysis.