Seagull and pion-in-flight currents in neutrino-induced $1N$ and $2N$ knockout

Abstract

[Background] The neutrino-nucleus ($νA$) cross section is a major source of systematic uncertainty in neutrino-oscillation studies. A precise $νA$ scattering model, in which multinucleon effects are incorporated, is pivotal for an accurate interpretation of the data. [Purpose] In $νA$ interactions, meson-exchange currents (MECs) can induce two-nucleon ($2N$) knockout from the target nucleus, resulting in a two-particle two-hole (2p2h) final state. They also affect single nucleon ($1N$) knockout reactions, yielding a one-particle one-hole (1p1h) final state. Both channels affect the inclusive strength. We present a study of axial and vector, seagull and pion-in-flight currents in muon-neutrino induced $1N$ and $2N$ knockout reactions on $^{12}$C. [Method] Bound and emitted nucleons are described as Hartree-Fock wave functions. For the vector MECs, the standard expressions are used. For the axial current, three parameterizations are considered. The framework developed here allows for a treatment of MECs and short-range correlations (SRCs). [Results] Results are compared with electron-scattering data and with literature. The strengths of the seagull, pion-in-flight and axial currents are studied separately and double differential cross sections including MECs are compared with results including SRCs. A comparison with MiniBooNE and T2K data is presented. [Conclusions] In the 1p1h channel, the effects of the MECs tend to cancel each other, resulting in a small effect on the double differential cross section. $2N$ knockout processes provide a small contribution to the inclusive double differential cross section, ranging from the $2N$ knockout threshold into the dip region. A fair agreement with the MiniBooNE and T2K data is reached.