|
Alvarez-Ruso, L., Hayato, Y., & Nieves, J. (2014). Progress and open questions in the physics of neutrino cross sections at intermediate energies. New J. Phys., 16, 075015–62pp.
Abstract: New and more precise measurements of neutrino cross sections have renewed interest in a better understanding of electroweak interactions on nucleons and nuclei. This effort is crucial to achieving the precision goals of the neutrino oscillation program, making new discoveries, like the CP violation in the leptonic sector, possible. We review the recent progress in the physics of neutrino cross sections, putting emphasis on the open questions that arise in the comparison with new experimental data. Following an overview of recent neutrino experiments and future plans, we present some details about the theoretical development in the description of (anti) neutrino-induced quasielastic (QE) scattering and the role of multi-nucleon QE-like mechanisms. We cover not only pion production in nucleons and nuclei but also other inelastic channels including strangeness production and photon emission. Coherent reaction channels on nuclear targets are also discussed. Finally, we briefly describe some of the Monte Carlo event generators, which are at the core of all neutrino oscillation and cross-section measurements.
|
|
|
Alvarez-Ruso, L., Hernandez, E., Nieves, J., & Vicente Vacas, M. J. (2016). Watson's theorem and the N Delta(1232) axial transition. Phys. Rev. D, 93(1), 014016–16pp.
Abstract: We present a new determination of the N Delta axial form factors from neutrino induced pion production data. For this purpose, the model of Hernandez et al. [Phys. Rev. D 76, 033005 (2007)] is improved by partially restoring unitarity. This is accomplished by imposing Watson's theorem on the dominant vector and axial multipoles. As a consequence, a larger C-5(A) (0), in good agreement with the prediction from the off-diagonal Goldberger-Treiman relation, is now obtained.
|
|
|
Alvarez-Ruso, L., Ledwig, T., Martin Camalich, J., & Vicente Vacas, M. J. (2013). Nucleon mass and pion-nucleon sigma term from a chiral analysis of lattice QCD data. Phys. Rev. D, 88(5), 054507–20pp.
Abstract: The pion mass dependence of the nucleon mass within the covariant SU(2) baryon chiral perturbation theory both without and with explicit Delta(1232) degrees of freedom up to order p(4) is investigated. By fitting to a comprehensive set of lattice QCD data in 2 and 2 + 1 flavors from several collaborations, for pion masses M-pi < 420 MeV, we obtain low energy constants of natural size that are compatible with pion-nucleon scattering data. Our results are consistent with the rather linear pion mass dependence showed by lattice QCD. In the 2 flavor case we have also performed simultaneous fits to nucleon mass and sigma(pi N) data. As a result of our analysis, which encompasses the study of finite volume corrections and discretization effects, we report a value of sigma(pi N) = 41(5)(4) MeV in the 2 flavor case and sigma(pi N) = 52(3)(8) MeV for 2 + 1 flavors, where the inclusion of the Delta(1232) resonance changes the results by around 9 MeV. In the 2 flavor case we are able to set independently the scale for lattice QCD data, given by a Sommer scale of r(0) = 0.493(23) fm.
|
|
|
Alvarez-Ruso, L., Nieves, J., Ruiz Simo, I., Valverde, M., & Vicente Vacas, M. J. (2013). Charged kaon production by coherent scattering of neutrinos and antineutrinos on nuclei. Phys. Rev. C, 87(1), 015503–11pp.
Abstract: With the aim of achieving a better and more complete understanding of neutrino interactions with nuclear targets, the coherent production of charged kaons induced by neutrinos and antineutrinos is investigated in the energy range of some of the current neutrino experiments. We follow a microscopic approach which, at the nucleon level, incorporates the most important mechanisms allowed by the chiral-symmetry-breaking pattern of QCD. The distortion of the outgoing K ((K) over bar) is taken into account by solving the Klein-Gordon equation with realistic optical potentials. Angular and momentum distributions, as well as the energy and nuclear dependence of the total cross section, are studied.
|
|
|
Alvarez-Ruso, L., & Saul-Sala, E. (2021). Neutrino interactions with matter and the MiniBooNE anomaly. Eur. Phys. J.-Spec. Top., 230, 4373–4389.
Abstract: The excess of electron-like events measured by MiniBooNE challenges our understanding of neutrinos and their interactions. We review the status of this open problem and ongoing efforts to resolve it. After introducing the experiment and its results, we consider the main experimental backgrounds and the related physics of neutrino interactions with matter, such as quasielastic-like scattering and weak pion production on nucleons and nuclei. Special attention is paid to single photon emission in neutral current interactions and, in particular, its coherent channel. The difficulties to reconcile the MiniBooNE anomaly with global oscillation analysis is then highlighted. We finally outline some of the proposed solutions of the puzzle involving unconventional neutrino-interaction mechanisms.
|
|