arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M. Sajjad Athar.
We present a short overview of the importance of the study of "Neutrino Interactions in the Intermediate and High Energy Region", with an introduction to the neutrinos and a very brief description about the collection of invited articles.
This review demonstrates the unique role of the neutrino by discussing in detail the physics of and with neutrinos. We deal with neutrino sources, neutrino oscillations, absolute masses, interactions, the possible existence of sterile neutrinos, and theoretical implications. In addition, synergies of neutrino physics with other research fields are found, and requirements to continue successful neutrino physics in the future, in terms of technological developments and adequate infrastructures, are stressed.
The quasielastic production cross sections and polarizations of the hyperons induced by ${\barν}_μ$ on the free nucleon as well as from $^{40}$Ar in the sub-GeV energy region has been reviewed [1-5]. The effects of the second class currents in the axial vector sector with and without T-invariance as well as the effect of SU(3) symmetry breaking are also studied. We find that the cross sections and the various polarization components can effectively be used to determine the axial vector transition form factors in the strangeness sector and to test the validity of various symmetries of the weak hadronic currents like G-invariance, T-invariance and SU(3) symmetry. These hyperons decay dominantly into pions giving an additional contribution to the weak pion production induced by the antineutrinos. In the case of nuclear targets like $^{40}$Ar, this contribution is shown to be significant when compared with the pion production by the $Δ$ excitations in the energy range of $E_{\barν_μ} \le 0.7$ GeV [1]. This study could be useful for the DUNE experiment where argon will be used as the target material and the electronic imaging of particles is possible and the particle tracks can be identified.
The present status of the field theoretical model studies of the deep inelastic scattering induced by (anti)neutrino on the nuclear targets in a wide range of Bjorken variable $x$ and four momentum transfer square $Q^2$, has been reviewed~\cite{Haider:2011qs,Haider:2012nf,Haider:2016zrk,Zaidi:2019mfd,Zaidi:2019asc,Ansari:2020xne}. The effect of the nonperturbative corrections such as target mass correction and higher twist effects, perturbative evolution of the parton densities, nuclear medium modifications in the nucleon structure functions, nuclear isoscalarity corrections on the weak nuclear structure functions have been discussed. These structure functions have been used to obtain the differential scattering cross sections. The various nuclear medium effects like the Fermi motion, binding energy, nucleon correlations, mesonic contributions, shadowing and antishadowing corrections relevant in the different regions of $x$ and $Q^2$ have been discussed. The numerical results for the structure functions and the cross sections are compared with some of the available experimental data including the recent results from MINERvA. The predictions are made in argon nuclear target which is planned to be used as a target material in DUNE at the Fermilab.
We have reviewed the current status of the inclusive neutrino scattering from $^{12}$C in the low energy region corresponding to the neutrino beams from the pion, muon and kaon decaying at rest. The theoretical calculations of total cross sections in various nuclear models with special emphasis on the recent experiments with the monoenergetic neutrinos from KDAR [1] along with the older experiments from KARMEN and LSND collaborations have been discussed in the context of the recent works by Akbar et al. [2] and Nikolakopoulos et al. [3]. The inadequacy of the various theoretical models used to explain the experimental results on the inclusive neutrino scattering from nuclei at low energies has been highlighted and the need for a better understanding of the nuclear medium effects beyond the impulse approximation has been emphasized.
In neutrino interactions with nucleons and nuclei, Shallow Inelastic Scattering (SIS) refers to processes, dominated by non-resonant contributions, in the kinematic region where $Q^2$ is small and the invariant mass of the hadronic system, $W$, is above the pion production threshold. The extremely rich science of this complex region, poorly understood both theoretically and experimentally, encompasses the transition from interactions described in terms of hadronic degrees of freedom to interactions with quarks and gluons described by perturbative QCD. Since a large fraction of events in NOvA and DUNE, and in atmospheric neutrino measurements such as IceCube-Upgrade, KM3NeT, Super- and Hyper-Kamiokande, are from this SIS region, there is a definite need to improve our knowledge of this physics. This LoI summarizes the current understandings of the SIS physics and a series of proposals for the path to forward.
The cross sections and polarization components of the $τ$ leptons produced in the charged current induced quasielastic $ν_τ~(\barν_τ) - N$ scattering have been studied. The theoretical uncertainties arising due to the use of different vector form factors and the axial dipole mass in the axial vector form factor have been investigated. Due to the high mass of $τ$ lepton, the contributions from the term containing pseudoscalar and second class current form factors are non-negligible and contribute to the uncertainty in the cross section and polarization observables as these form factors are not well known. In view of the currently proposed experiments by DUNE, SHiP and DsTau collaborations to study the production of $τ$ lepton, an updated calculation of the cross sections and polarizations of tau leptons in the case of quasielastic production have been done and the numerical results have been presented along with a discussion of the theoretical uncertainties.
The effect of nonperturbative and higher order perturbative corrections to all the free nucleon structure functions ($F_{iN}(x,Q^2); i=1-5$) in the DIS of $ν_τ/{\barν}_τ$ on nucleon is studied. The target mass correction (TMC) and higher twist (HT) effects are incorporated following the works of Kretzer et al. and Dasgupta et al., respectively. The evaluation of the nucleon structure functions has been performed by using the MMHT 2014 parameterization of the parton distribution functions (PDFs). The calculations have been performed at the next-to-leading(NLO) order. These nucleon structure functions (SF) are used to calculate the DIS cross section by further including the kinematical corrections due to $τ$-lepton mass. Due to the inclusion of lepton mass two additional structure functions $F_{4N}(x,Q^2)$ and $F_{5N}(x,Q^2)$ become non-negligible. The results for the nucleon structure functions, differential and total scattering cross sections are presented. The various effects considered in this work are effective in the different regions of $x$ and $Q^2$, and quite important in the energy region of $E_{ν_τ/{\barν}_τ} < 15$ GeV. A comparative study of our results with the existing results in the literature for the cross sections is made in the energy region of interest for the DUNE, SHiP, DsTau and HyperK experiments proposed to be done in the near future.
The associated photoproduction of $KΛ$ from the proton in the low energy region is studied using an isobar model in which the non-resonant contributions are obtained from the non-linear sigma model with chiral SU(3) symmetry which predicts, in a natural way, the contact term with its coupling strength along with the coupling strengths of the various Born terms predicted by the non-linear sigma model. The present model is an extension of the non-linear sigma model with chiral SU(2) symmetry, used earlier to study the photo, electro, and neutrino productions of pions. In the resonance sector, the contributions from the well established nucleon resonances ($R$) in the $s$ channel, the hyperon resonances ($Y^{*}$) in the $u$ channel, and the kaon resonances ($K^{*}$ and $K_{1}$) in the $t$ channel having spin $\le \frac{3}{2}$ and mass $<2$ GeV with a significant branching ratio in $KΛ$ decay mode, have been considered. The strong and electromagnetic couplings of the $s$ channel nucleon resonances are taken from experiments while the couplings for the resonances in the $t$ and $u$ channels are fitted to reproduce the current data on the associated photoproduction of $KΛ$ in this energy region. The numerical results are presented for the total and differential cross sections and are compared with the available experimental data from CLAS and SAPHIR as well as with some of the recent theoretical models.
In $ν/\barν$-N/A interactions SIS is technically defined in terms of the four-momentum transfer to the hadronic system as non-resonant meson production with $Q^2 \lessapprox 1~GeV^2$. This non-resonant meson production intermixes with resonant meson production in a regime of similar effective hadronic mass W of the interaction. As $Q^2$ grows and surpasses this $\approx 1~GeV^2$ limit, non-resonant interactions begin to take place with quarks within the nucleon indicating the start of DIS region. SIS and DIS regions have received varying degrees of attention from the community. While the theoretical / phenomenological study of $ν$-nucleon and $ν$-nucleus DIS scattering is advanced, such studies of a large portion of the SIS region, particularly the SIS to DIS transition region, have hardly begun. Experimentally, the SIS and the DIS regions for $ν$-nucleon scattering have minimal results and only in the experimental study of the $ν$-nucleus DIS region are there significant results for some nuclei. Since current and future neutrino oscillation experiments have contributions from both higher W SIS and DIS kinematic regions and these regions are in need of both considerable theoretical and experimental study, this review will concentrate on these SIS to DIS transition and DIS kinematic regions surveying our knowledge and the current challenges.
We study the effect of various perturbative and nonperturbative QCD corrections on the free nucleon structure functions ($F_{iN}^{WI}(x,Q^2); ~i=1-3$) and their implications in the determination of nuclear structure functions. The evaluation of the nucleon structure functions has been performed by using the MMHT 2014 PDFs parameterization, and the TMC and HT effects are incorporated following the works of Schienbein et al. and Dasgupta et al., respectively. These nucleon structure functions are taken as input in the determination of nuclear structure functions. The numerical calculations for the $ν_l/\barν_l-A$ DIS process have been performed by incorporating the nuclear medium effects like Fermi motion, binding energy, nucleon correlations, mesonic contributions, shadowing and antishadowing in several nuclear targets such as carbon, polystyrene scintillator, iron and lead which are being used in MINERvA, and in argon nucleus which is relevant for the ArgoNeuT and DUNE experiments. The differential scattering cross sections $\frac{d^2σ_A^{WI}}{dx dy}$ and $(\frac{dσ_A^{WI}}{dx}/\frac{dσ_{CH}^{WI}}{dx})$ have also been studied in the kinematic region of MINERvA experiment. The theoretical results are compared with the recent experimental data of MINERvA and the earlier data of NuTeV, CCFR, CDHSW and CHORUS collaborations. Moreover, a comparative analysis of the present results for the ratio $(\frac{dσ_A^{WI}}{dx}/\frac{dσ_{CH}^{WI}}{dx})$, and the results from the MC generator GENIE and other phenomenological models of Bodek and Yang, and Cloet et al., has been performed in the context of MINERvA experiment. The predictions have also been made for $\barν_l-A$ cross section relevant for MINERvA experiment.
We examine the uncertainty of the calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux and present a way to reduce it using accurately measured atmospheric muon flux. Considering the difference of the hadronic interaction model and the real one as a variation of hadronic interaction, we find a quantitative estimation method for the error of the atmospheric neutrino flux calculation from the residual of the reconstruction of the atmospheric muon flux observed in a precision experiment, by the study of atmospheric neutrino and muon fluxes response to the variation of hadronic interaction. However, the efficiencty of this method is largely dependent on the observation site of the atmospheric muon flux, as the relation of the error of the atmospheric neutrino flux calculation and the residual of the reconstruction of the atmospheric muon flux is also largely dependent on the muon observation site, especially for the low energy neutrinos. We calculate several observation sites, near Kamioka at sea level, same but 2770m a.s.l.., Hanle India (4500m a.s.l.), and at Balloon altitude ($\sim$ 32km). Then we estimate how stringently can the atmospheric muon reduce the error in the calculation of the atmospheric neutrino flux. We also discuss on the source of error which is difficult to reduce by only the observation of atmospheric muon.
The NuSTEC workshop (https://indico.cern.ch/event/727283) held at L'Aquila in October 2018 was devoted to neutrino-nucleus scattering in the kinematic region where hadronic systems with invariant masses above the $Δ(1232)$ resonance are produced: the so-called shallow- and deep-inelastic scattering regime. Not only is the physics in this kinematic region quite intriguing, it is also important for current and future oscillation experiments with accelerator and atmospheric neutrinos. For the benefit of the community, links to the presentations are accompanied by annotations from the speakers.
We have studied the nucleon structure functions $F_{iN}^{EM} (x,Q^2);~i=1,2$, by including contributions due to the higher order perturbative QCD effect up to NNLO and the non-perturbative effects due to the kinematical and dynamical higher twist (HT) effects. The numerical results for $F_{iN}^{EM}(x,Q^2)$ are obtained using Martin, Motylinski, Harland-Lang, Thorne (MMHT) 2014 NLO and NNLO nucleon parton distribution functions (PDFs). The dynamical HT correction has been included following the renormalon approach as well as the phenomenological approach and the kinematical HT effect is incorporated using the works of Schienbein et al. These nucleon structure functions have been used as an input to calculate the nuclear structure functions $F_{iA}^{EM} (x,Q^2)$. In a nucleus, the nuclear corrections arise because of the Fermi motion, binding energy, nucleon correlations, mesonic contribution, shadowing and antishadowing effects. These nuclear corrections are taken into account in the numerical calculations to obtain the nuclear structure functions $F_{iA}^{EM} (x,Q^2)$, for the various nuclear targets like $^{12}C$, $^{27}Al$, $^{56}Fe$, $^{64}Cu$, $^{118}Sn$, $^{197}Au$ and $^{208}Pb$ which are of experimental interest. The effect of isoscalarity correction for nonisoscalar nuclear targets has also been studied. The results for the $F_{iA}^{EM} (x,Q^2)$ are compared with nCTEQ nuclear PDFs parameterization as well as with the experimental results from JLab, SLAC and NMC in the kinematic region of $0.1 \le x \le 0.8$ for several nuclei.
In this review, we have studied the quasielastic production cross sections and polarization components of $Λ$, $Σ^0$ and $Σ^-$ hyperons induced by the weak charged currents in the antineutrino reactions on the nucleon and the nuclear targets like $^{12}$C, $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ar and $^{208}$Pb. It is shown that the energy and the $Q^2$ dependence of the cross sections and the various polarization components can be effectively used to determine the axial vector transition form factors in the strangeness sector and test the validity of various symmetry properties of the weak hadronic currents like G-invariance, T-invariance and SU(3) symmetry. In particular, the energy and the $Q^2$ dependence of the polarization components of the hyperons is found to be sensitive enough to determine the presence of the second class current with or without T-invariance. These hyperons decay dominantly into pions giving an additional contribution to the weak pion production induced by the antineutrinos. This contribution is shown to be quantitatively significant as compared to the pion production by the $Δ$ excitation in the nuclear targets in the sub-GeV energy region relevant for the $\barν_μ$ cross section measurements in the oscillation experiments. We have also included a few new results, based on our earlier works, which are in the kinematic region of the present and future (anti)neutrino experiments being done with the accelerator (anti)neutrinos at T2K, MicroBooNE, MiniBooNE, NO$ν$A, MINER$ν$A and DUNE, as well as for the atmospheric (anti)neutrino experiments in this energy region.
The effect of the second class currents with and without time reversal invariance has been studied in the quasielastic production of nucleons and hyperons induced by neutrinos and antineutrinos from the nucleons. The numerical results are presented for the total scattering cross section~($σ$) as well as for the longitudinal, perpendicular and transverse components of the polarization of the final baryons ($p$, $n$, $Λ$, $Σ^-$, $Σ^0$) and muon produced in the quasielastic (anti)neutrino-nucleon scattering induced by the weak charged current. In the case of the production of $Λ$ hyperon, which is the most suitable candidate for making the polarization measurements, we have also calculated the $Q^2$ dependence of the polarization observables and the differential scattering cross section ($dσ/dQ^2$). The measurement of the polarization observables and their $Q^2$ dependence provides an independent way to determine the nucleon-hyperon transition form factors at high $Q^2$ which can provide tests of the symmetries of the weak hadronic currents like G-invariance, T invariance and SU(3) symmetry.
In this work, we have studied the total scattering cross section ($σ$), differential scattering cross section ($dσ/dQ^2$) as well as the longitudinal ($P_L(E_e,Q^2)$), perpendicular ($P_P(E_e,Q^2)$), and transverse ($P_T(E_e,Q^2)$) components of the polarization of the final hadron ($n$, $ Λ$ and $Σ^0$) produced in the electron proton scattering induced by the weak charged current. We have not assumed T-invariance which allows the transverse component of the hadron polarization perpendicular to the production plane to be non-zero. The numerical results are presented for all the above observables and their dependence on the axial vector form factor and the weak electric form factor are discussed. The present study enables the determination of the axial vector nucleon-hyperon transition form factors at high $ Q^2$ in the strangeness sector which can provide test of the symmetries of the weak hadronic currents like T-invariance and SU(3) symmetry while assuming the hypothesis of conserved vector current and partial conservation of axial vector current.
With the availability of high luminosity electron beam at the accelerators, there is now the possibility of studying weak quasielastic hyperon production off the proton, i.e. $e^-p \to ν_e Y(Y=Λ,Σ^0)$, which will enable the determination of the nucleon-hyperon vector and axial-vector transition form factors at high $ Q^2$ in the strangeness sector and provide test of the Cabibbo model, G-invariance, CVC, PCAC hypotheses and SU(3) symmetry. In this work, we have studied the total cross section, differential cross section as well as the longitudinal and perpendicular components of polarization of the final hyperons ($ Λ$ and $Σ^0$ produced in these reactions) and presented numerical results for these observables and their sensitivity to the transition form factors.