Deuterium target data for precision neutrino-nucleus cross sections
Aaron S. Meyer🇺🇸 · Minerba Betancourt🇺🇸 · Richard Gran🇺🇸 · Richard J. Hill🇺🇸
Amplitudes derived from scattering data on elementary targets are basic inputs to neutrino-nucleus cross section predictions. A prominent example is the isovector axial nucleon form factor, , which controls charged current signal processes at accelerator-based neutrino oscillation experiments. Previous extractions of from neutrino-deuteron scattering data rely on a dipole shape assumption that introduces an unquantified error. A new analysis of world data for neutrino-deuteron scattering is performed using a model-independent, and systematically improvable, representation of . A complete error budget for the nucleon isovector axial radius leads to , with a much larger uncertainty than determined in the original analyses. The quasielastic neutrino-neutron cross section is determined as . The propagation of nucleon-level constraints and uncertainties to nuclear cross sections is illustrated using MINERvA data and the GENIE event generator. These techniques can be readily extended to other amplitudes and processes.