New model comparison for semi-inclusive charged-current electron and muon neutrino scattering by ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ in the energy range of the MicroBooNE experiment

In this work we present a comparison of semi-inclusive muon and electron neutrino cross sections with ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ target measured by the MicroBooNE collaboration with the predictions of an unfactorized model based on the relativistic distorted wave impulse approximation (RDWIA) and the SuSAv2-MEC model implemented in the neutrino event generator GENIE. The predictions based on the RDWIA approach, with a realistic description of the initial state and a phenomenological relativistic complex optical potential for the description of final state interactions, better describe the measured cross sections than GENIE-SuSAv2 and RDWIA with a purely real potential.

Figure 1

Missing energy profile of neutrons in ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ described by the parametrization given in Table 1. The red band corresponds to the uncertainties summarized in Table 1, the vertical blue lines show the positions of the RMF shells and the black dashed line shows the mean value of the distribution.

Figure 2

MicroBooNE $\mathrm{CC}0\pi \mathrm{Np}$ ${\nu }_{\mu }-{}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ cross sections as function of the reconstructed muon and proton momenta and scattering angles and the opening angle ${\theta }_{\mu p}^{\mathrm{reco}}$. All curves include the 2p2h and pion absorption (denoted other) contributions evaluated using GENIE (shown separately). Experimental results are from [22]. The bands, drawn for the ED-RMF and ROP models, represent the uncertainties associated with the modeling of the initial nuclear state. The ${\chi }^2/\mathrm{d}.\mathrm{o}.\mathrm{f}.$ ratio is given in brackets in the legend of each distribution.

Figure 3

MicroBooNE $\mathrm{CC}0\pi \mathrm{Np}$ ${\nu }_e-{}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ cross sections as function of the electron scattering angle and energy ($E_l$) and proton kinetic energy ($T_N$) and scattering angle. All curves include the 2p2h and pion absorption (denoted other) contributions evaluated using GENIE (shown separately). Experimental results are from [23]. The bands, drawn for the ED-RMF and ROP models, represent the uncertainties associated with the modeling of the initial nuclear state. The single white point in the $T_N$ distribution between $0<T_N<50\mathrm{MeV}$ corresponds to an extra $1\mathrm{e}0\mathrm{p}0\pi$ (one electron, no protons above 50 MeV threshold and any number of protons with kinetic energy below the 50 MeV threshold) measurement performed by MicroBooNE [23]. For this single point, additional phase space restrictions on the electron energy ($E_l>0.5\mathrm{GeV}$) and the electron scattering angle ($\cos {\theta }_l>0.6$) are applied. Note that for this bin, the GENIE SuSAv2 prediction is the same as the ED-RMF prediction and so cannot easily be seen on the plot. The ${\chi }^2/\mathrm{d}.\mathrm{o}.\mathrm{f}.$ ratio is given in brackets in the legend of each distribution.

Figure 4

MicroBooNE $\mathrm{CC}0\pi 1\mathrm{p}$ ${\nu }_{\mu }-{}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ cross sections as function of the muon and proton momenta, proton polar scattering angle, $Q_{\mathrm{CCQE}}^2$ and $E_{\nu }^{\mathrm{cal}}$ as defined in Eq. (5). All curves include the 2p2h and pion absorption (denoted other) contributions evaluated using GENIE (shown separately). Experimental results were taken from [24]. The bands drawn for the ED-RMF and ROP models are related with the uncertainties associated with the modeling of the initial nuclear state. The ${\chi }^2/\mathrm{d}.\mathrm{o}.\mathrm{f}.$ ratio is given in brackets in the legend of each distribution except for $Q_{\mathrm{CCQE}}^2$ and $E_{\nu }^{\mathrm{cal}}$ for which the covariance matrices are not available.

Figure 5

MicroBooNE $\mathrm{CC}0\pi 1\mathrm{p}$ ${\nu }_{\mu }-{}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ cross sections as function of the muon scattering angle. All curves include the 2p2h and pion absorption (denoted other) contributions evaluated using GENIE (shown separately). Experimental results were taken from [24]. The bands drawn for the ED-RMF and ROP models are related with the uncertainties associated with the modeling of the initial nuclear state. The ${\chi }^2/\mathrm{d}.\mathrm{o}.\mathrm{f}.$ ratio is given in brackets in the legend of each distribution.