Soriano, A., Gonzalez, A., Orero, A., Moliner, L., Carles, M., Sanchez, F., et al. (2011). Attenuation correction without transmission scan for the MAMMI breast PET. Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res. A, 648, S75–S78.
Abstract: Whole-body Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanners are required in order to span large Fields of View (FOV). Therefore, reaching the sensitivity and spatial resolution required for early stage breast tumor detection is not straightforward. MAMMI is a dedicated breast PET scanner with a ring geometry designed to provide PET images with a spatial resolution as high as 1.5 mm, being able to detect small breast tumors ( < 1 cm). The patient lays down in prone position during the scan, thus making possible to image the whole breast, up to regions close to the base of the pectoral without the requirement of breast compression. Attenuation correction (AC) for PET data improves the image quality and the quantitative accuracy of radioactivity distribution determination. In dedicated, high resolution breast cancer scanners, this correction would enhance the proper diagnosis in early disease stages. In whole-body PET scanners, AC is usually taken into account with the use of transmission scans, either by external radioactive rod sources or by Computed Tomography (CT). This considerably increases the radiation dose administered to the patient and time needed for the exploration. In this work we propose a method for breast shape identification by means of PET image segmentation. The breast shape identification will be used for the determination of the AC. For the case of a specific breast PET scanner the procedure we propose should provide AC similar to that obtained by transmission scans as we take advantage of the breast anatomical simplicity. Experimental validation of the proposed approach with a dedicated breast PET prototype is also presented. The main advantage of this method is an important dose reduction since the transmission scan is not required.
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Nieves, J., Sanchez, F., Ruiz Simo, I., & Vicente Vacas, M. J. (2012). Neutrino energy reconstruction and the shape of the charged current quasielastic-like total cross section. Phys. Rev. D, 85(11), 113008–9pp.
Abstract: We show that because of the multinucleon mechanism effects, the algorithm used to reconstruct the neutrino energy is not adequate when dealing with quasielastic-like events, and a distortion of the total flux-unfolded cross-section shape is produced. This amounts to a redistribution of strength from high to low energies, which gives rise to a sizable excess (deficit) of low (high) energy neutrinos. This distortion of the shape leads to a good description of the MiniBooNE unfolded charged current quasielastic-like cross sections published by A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo et al. [(MiniBooNE Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 81, 092005 (2010)]. However, these changes in the shape are artifacts of the unfolding process that ignores multinucleon mechanisms.
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Sobczyk, J. E., Nieves, J., & Sanchez, F. (2020). Exclusive-final-state hadron observables from neutrino-nucleus multinucleon knockout. Phys. Rev. C, 102(2), 024601–16pp.
Abstract: We present results of an updated calculation of the two particle two hole (2p2h) contribution to the neutrino-induced charge-current cross section. We provide also some exclusive observables, interesting from the point of view of experimental studies, e.g., distributions of momenta of the outgoing nucleons and of available energy, which we compare with the results obtained within the NEUT generator. We also compute, and separate from the total, the contributions of 3p3h mechanisms. Finally, we discuss the differences between the present results and previous implementations of the model in MC event generators, done at the level of inclusive cross sections, which might significantly influence the experimental analyses, particularly in the cases where the hadronic observables are considered.
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Bourguille, B., Nieves, J., & Sanchez, F. (2021). Inclusive and exclusive neutrino-nucleus cross sections and the reconstruction of the interaction kinematics. J. High Energy Phys., 04(4), 004–42pp.
Abstract: We present a full kinematic analysis of neutrino-nucleus charged current quasielastic interactions based on the Local Fermi Gas model and the Random Phase Approximation. The model was implemented in the NEUT Monte Carlo framework, which allows us to investigate potentially measurable observables, including hadron distributions. We compare the predictions simultaneously to the most recent T2K and MINERvA charged current (CC) inclusive, CC0 pi and transverse kinematic-imbalance variable results. We pursuit a microscopic interpretation of the relevant reaction mechanisms, with the aim to achieving in neutrino oscillation experiments a correct reconstruction of the incoming neutrino kinematics, free of conceptual biasses. Such study is of the utmost importance for the ambitious experimental program which is underway to precisely determine neutrino properties, test the three-generation paradigm, establish the order of mass eigenstates and investigate leptonic CP violation.
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Gran, R., Nieves, J., Sanchez, F., & Vicente Vacas, M. J. (2013). Neutrino-nucleus quasi-elastic and 2p2h interactions up to 10 GeV. Phys. Rev. D, 88(11), 113007–10pp.
Abstract: We extend to 10 GeV results from a microscopic calculation of charged-current neutrino-nucleus reactions that do not produce a pion in the final state. For the class of events coming from neutrino interactions with two nucleons producing two holes (2p2h), limiting the calculation to three-momentum transfers less than 1.2 GeV produces a two-dimensional distribution in momentum and energy transfer that is roughly constant as a function of energy. The cross section for 2p2h interactions approximately scales with the number of nucleons for isoscalar nuclei, similar to the quasi-elastic cross section. When limited to momentum transfers below 1.2 GeV, the cross section is 26% of the quasi-elastic cross section at 3 GeV, but 14% if we neglect a Delta(1232) resonance absorption component. The same quantities are 33% and 17% for antineutrinos. For the quasi-elastic interactions, the full nuclear model with long range correlations produces an even larger, but approximately constant distortion of the shape of the four-momentum transfer at all energies above 2 GeV. The 2p2h enhancement and long-range correlation distortions to the cross section for these interactions are significant enough they should be observable in precision experiments to measure neutrino oscillations and neutrino interactions at these energies, but also balance out and produce less total distortion than each effect does individually.
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