Sobczyk, J. E., Rocco, N., Lovato, A., & Nieves, J. (2019). Weak production of strange and charmed ground-state baryons in nuclei. Phys. Rev. C, 99(6), 065503–16pp.
Abstract: We present results for the quasielastic weak production of Delta and Sigma hyperons induced by (nu) over bar. scattering off nuclei in the kinematical region of interest for accelerator neutrino experiments. We employ realistic hole spectral functions and we describe the propagation of the hyperons in the nuclear medium by means of a Monte Carlo cascade. The latter strongly modifies the kinematics and the relative production rates of the hyperons, leading to a nonvanishing Sigma(+) cross section, to a sizable enhancement of the Lambda production and to a drastic reduction of the Sigma(0) and Sigma(-) distributions. We also compute the quasielastic weak Lambda(c) production cross section, paying special attention to estimate the uncertainties induced by the model dependence of the vacuum n -> Lambda(c) weak matrix element. In this regard, the recent BESIII measurements of the branching ratios of Lambda(c) -> Lambda l(+)nu(l) (l = e, mu) are used to benchmark the available theoretical predictions.
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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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Sobczyk, J. E., Hernandez, E., Nakamura, S. X., Nieves, J., & Sato, T. (2018). Angular distributions in electroweak pion production off nucleons: Odd parity hadron terms, strong relative phases, and model dependence. Phys. Rev. D, 98(7), 073001–39pp.
Abstract: The study of pion production in nuclei is important for signal and background determinations in current and future neutrino oscillation experiments. The first step, however, is to understand the pion production reactions at the free nucleon level. We present an exhaustive study of the charged-current and neutral-current neutrino and antineutrino pion production off nucleons, paying special attention to the angular distributions of the outgoing pion. We show, using general arguments, that parity violation and time-reversal odd correlations in the weak differential cross sections are generated from the interference between different contributions to the hadronic current that are not relatively real. Next, we present a detailed comparison of three state-of-the-art, microscopic models for electroweak pion production off nucleons, and we also confront their predictions with polarized electron data, as a test of the vector content of these models. We also illustrate the importance of carrying out a comprehensive test at the level of outgoing pion angular distributions, going beyond comparisons done for partially integrated cross sections, where model differences cancel to a certain extent. Finally, we observe that all charged and neutral current distributions show sizable anisotropies, and identify channels for which parity-violating effects are clearly visible. Based on the above results, we conclude that the use of isotropic distributions for the pions in the center of mass of the final pion-nucleon system, as assumed by some of the Monte Carlo event generators, needs to be improved by incorporating the findings of microscopic calculations.
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Smith, W. A., Glazier, D. I., Mathieu, V., Albaladejo, M., Albrecht, M., Baldwin, Z., et al. (2023). Ambiguities in partial wave analysis of two spinless meson photoproduction. Phys. Rev. D, 108(7), 076001–12pp.
Abstract: We describe the formalism to analyze the mathematical ambiguities arising in partial-wave analysis of two spinless mesons produced with a linearly polarized photon beam. We show that partial waves are uniquely defined when all accessible observables are considered, for a wave set which includes S and D waves. The inclusion of higher partial waves does not affect our results, and we conclude that there are no mathematical ambiguities in partial-wave analysis of two mesons produced with a linearly polarized photon beam. We present Monte Carlo simulations to illustrate our results.
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Simpson, F., Jimenez, R., Pena-Garay, C., & Verde, L. (2018). Dark energy from the motions of neutrinos. Phys. Dark Universe, 20, 72–77.
Abstract: Ordinarily, a scalar field may only play the role of dark energy if it possesses a potential that is either extraordinarily flat or extremely fine-tuned. Here we demonstrate that these restrictions are lifted when the scalar field undergoes persistent energy exchange with another fluid. In this scenario, the field is prevented from reversing its direction of motion, and instead may come to rest while displaced from the local minimum of its potential. Therefore almost any scalar potential is capable of initiating a prolonged phase of cosmic acceleration. If the rate of energy transfer is modulated via a derivative coupling, the field undergoes a rapid process of freezing, after which the field's equation of state mimicks that of a cosmological constant. We present a physically motivated realisation in the form of a neutrino-majoron coupling, which avoids the dynamical instabilities associated with mass-varying neutrino models. Finally we discuss possible means by which this model could be experimentally verified.
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