Abstract
Forward single production by coherent neutral-current interactions, , is investigated using a protons-on-target exposure of the MINOS Near Detector. For single-shower topologies, the event distribution in production angle exhibits a clear excess above the estimated background at very forward angles for visible energy in the range 1–8 GeV. Cross sections are obtained for the detector medium comprised of 80% iron and 20% carbon nuclei with , the highest- target used to date in the study of this coherent reaction. The total cross section for coherent neutral-current single production initiated by the flux of the NuMI low-energy beam with mean (mode) of 4.9 GeV (3.0 GeV), is . The results are in good agreement with predictions of the Berger-Sehgal model.
7 More- Received 22 August 2016
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.94.072006
© 2016 American Physical Society