Model-Independent Bound on Neutrino Energy Reconstruction from Nuclear Targets

Abstract

Neutrino energy reconstruction on nuclear targets underlies oscillation measurements and precision tests of weak interactions. Inclusive charged--current data have long exhibited degeneracies commonly attributed to axial-mass tuning, multinucleon dynamics, and final-state interactions. This work shows that, even in the idealized limit of perfect detectors and exact nuclear dynamics, inclusive lepton-only reconstruction admits no unique inverse. A strictly positive lower bound on neutrino energy resolution follows from the finite energy-transfer support of the inclusive nuclear axial response. The result identifies an irreducible contribution to reconstruction uncertainty that is independent of modeling assumptions and experimental resolution.

Comments: 3 pages, no figures