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arXiv · 1606.08890

First evidence of coherent $K^{+}$ meson production in neutrino-nucleus scattering

Z. Wang·C. M. Marshall·L. Aliaga·O. Altinok·L. Bellantoni·A. Bercellie·M. Betancourt·A. Bodek·A. Bravar·H. Budd·T. Cai·M. F. Carneiro·H. da Motta·S. A. Dytman·G. A. Dìaz·B. Eberly·E. Endress·J. Felix·L. Fields·R. Fine·R. Galindo·H. Gallagher·A. Ghosh·T. Golan·R. Gran·D. A. Harris·A. Higuera·K. Hurtado·M. Kiveni·J. Kleykamp·M. Kordosky·T. Le·E. Maher·S. Manly·W. A. Mann·D. A. Martinez Caicedo·K. S. McFarland·C. L. McGivern·A. M. McGowan·B. Messerly·J. Miller·A. Mislivec·J. G. Morfìn·J. Mousseau·D. Naples·J. K. Nelson·A. Norrick·Nuruzzaman·V. Paolone·J. Park·C. E. Patrick·G. N. Perdue·L. Rakotondravohitra·M. A. Ramirez·R. D. Ransome·H. Ray·L. Ren·D. Rimal·P. A. Rodrigues·D. Ruterbories·H. Schellman·D. W. Schmitz·C. Simon·C. J. Solano Salinas·B. G. Tice·E. Valencia·T. Walton·J. Wolcott·M. Wospakrik·G. Zavala·D. Zhang
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Abstract

Neutrino-induced charged-current coherent kaon production, $\nu_{\mu}A\rightarrow\mu^{-}K^{+}A$, is a rare, inelastic electroweak process that brings a $K^+$ on shell and leaves the target nucleus intact in its ground state. This process is significantly lower in rate than neutrino-induced charged-current coherent pion production, because of Cabibbo suppression and a kinematic suppression due to the larger kaon mass. We search for such events in the scintillator tracker of MINERvA by observing the final state $K^+$, $\mu^-$ and no other detector activity, and by using the kinematics of the final state particles to reconstruct the small momentum transfer to the nucleus, which is a model-independent characteristic of coherent scattering. We find the first experimental evidence for the process at $3\sigma$ significance.

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Z. Wang, C. M. Marshall, L. Aliaga, O. Altinok, L. Bellantoni, A. Bercellie, M. Betancourt, A. Bodek, A. Bravar, H. Budd, T. Cai, M. F. Carneiro, H. da Motta, S. A. Dytman, G. A. Dìaz, B. Eberly, E. Endress, J. Felix, L. Fields, R. Fine, R. Galindo, H. Gallagher, A. Ghosh, T. Golan, R. Gran, D. A. Harris, A. Higuera, K. Hurtado, M. Kiveni, J. Kleykamp, M. Kordosky, T. Le, E. Maher, S. Manly, W. A. Mann, D. A. Martinez Caicedo, K. S. McFarland, C. L. McGivern, A. M. McGowan, B. Messerly, J. Miller, A. Mislivec, J. G. Morfìn, J. Mousseau, D. Naples, J. K. Nelson, A. Norrick, Nuruzzaman, V. Paolone, J. Park, C. E. Patrick, G. N. Perdue, L. Rakotondravohitra, M. A. Ramirez, R. D. Ransome, H. Ray, L. Ren, D. Rimal, P. A. Rodrigues, D. Ruterbories, H. Schellman, D. W. Schmitz, C. Simon, C. J. Solano Salinas, B. G. Tice, E. Valencia, T. Walton, J. Wolcott, M. Wospakrik, G. Zavala, D. Zhang. 2016-06-28. First evidence of coherent $K^{+}$ meson production in neutrino-nucleus scattering. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.117.061802

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