Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - First observation of coherent π0 production in neutrino–nucleus interactions with Eν<2 GeV
AU - Aguilar-Arevalo, A.A.
AU - Nowak, Jaroslaw
AU - MiniBooNE Collaboration
PY - 2008/6/12
Y1 - 2008/6/12
N2 - The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab has amassed the largest sample to date of π0s produced in neutral current (NC) neutrino–nucleus interactions at low energy. This Letter reports a measurement of the momentum distribution of π0s produced in mineral oil (CH2) and the first observation of coherent π0 production below 2 GeV. In the forward direction, the yield of events observed above the expectation for resonant production is attributed primarily to coherent production off carbon, but may also include a small contribution from diffractive production on hydrogen. Integrated over the MiniBooNE neutrino flux, the sum of the NC coherent and diffractive modes is found to be (19.5±1.1(stat)±2.5(sys))% of all exclusive NC π0 production at MiniBooNE. These measurements are of immediate utility because they quantify an important background to MiniBooNE's search for νμ→νe oscillations.
AB - The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab has amassed the largest sample to date of π0s produced in neutral current (NC) neutrino–nucleus interactions at low energy. This Letter reports a measurement of the momentum distribution of π0s produced in mineral oil (CH2) and the first observation of coherent π0 production below 2 GeV. In the forward direction, the yield of events observed above the expectation for resonant production is attributed primarily to coherent production off carbon, but may also include a small contribution from diffractive production on hydrogen. Integrated over the MiniBooNE neutrino flux, the sum of the NC coherent and diffractive modes is found to be (19.5±1.1(stat)±2.5(sys))% of all exclusive NC π0 production at MiniBooNE. These measurements are of immediate utility because they quantify an important background to MiniBooNE's search for νμ→νe oscillations.
U2 - 10.1016/j.physletb.2008.05.006
DO - 10.1016/j.physletb.2008.05.006
M3 - Journal article
VL - 664
SP - 41
EP - 46
JO - Physics Letters B
JF - Physics Letters B
SN - 0370-2693
IS - 1-2
ER -