We review the general interplay between Nuclear Physics and neutrino-nucleus cross sections at intermediate and high energies. The effects of different reaction mechanisms over the neutrino observables are illustrated with examples in calculations using several nuclear models and ingredients.
An accurate description of the nuclear response functions for neutrino scattering in the Gev region is essential for the interpretation of present and future neutrino oscillation experiments. Due to the close similarity of electromagnetic and weak sc
attering processes, we will review the status of the scaling approach and of relativistic modeling for the inclusive electron scattering response functions in the quasielastic and $Delta$-resonance regions. In particular, recent studies have been focused on scaling violations and the degree to which these imply modifications of existing predictions for neutrino reactions. We will discuss sources and magnitude of such violations, emphasizing similarities and differences between electron and neutrino reactions.
Geo-neutrino studies are based on theoretical estimates of geo-neutrino spectra. We propose a method for a direct measurement of the energy distribution of antineutrinos from decays of long-lived radioactive isotopes. We present preliminary results f
or the geo-neutrinos from Bi-214 decay, a process which accounts for about one half of the total geo-neutrino signal. The feeding probability of the lowest state of Bi-214 - the most important for geo-neutrino signal - is found to be p_0 = 0.177 pm 0.004 (stat) ^{+0.003}_{-0.001} (sys), under the hypothesis of Universal Neutrino Spectrum Shape (UNSS). This value is consistent with the (indirect) estimate of the Table of Isotopes (ToI). We show that achievable larger statistics and reduction of systematics should allow to test possible distortions of the neutrino spectrum from that predicted using the UNSS hypothesis. Implications on the geo-neutrino signal are discussed.
The prospects of extracting new physics signals in a coherent elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering (CE$ u$NS) process are limited by the precision with which the underlying nuclear structure physics, embedded in the weak nuclear form factor, is known.
We present microscopic nuclear structure physics calculations of charge and weak nuclear form factors and CE$ u$NS cross sections on $^{12}$C, $^{16}$O, $^{40}$Ar, $^{56}$Fe and $^{208}$Pb nuclei. We obtain the proton and neutron densities, and charge and weak form factors by solving Hartree-Fock equations with a Skyrme (SkE2) nuclear potential. We validate our approach by comparing $^{208}$Pb and $^{40}$Ar charge form factor predictions with elastic electron scattering data. In view of the worldwide interest in liquid-argon based neutrino and dark matter experiments, we pay special attention to the $^{40}$Ar nucleus and make predictions for the $^{40}$Ar weak form factor and the CE$ u$NS cross sections. Furthermore, we attempt to gauge the level of theoretical uncertainty pertaining to the description of the $^{40}$Ar form factor and CE$ u$NS cross sections by comparing relative differences between recent microscopic nuclear theory and widely-used phenomenological form factor predictions. Future precision measurements of CE$ u$NS will potentially help in constraining these nuclear structure details that will in turn improve prospects of extracting new physics.
We present a phenomenological study of nuclear effects in neutrino charged-current interactions, using transverse kinematic imbalances in exclusive measurements. Novel observables with minimal dependence on neutrino energy are proposed to study quasi
elastic scattering, and especially resonance production. They should be able to provide direct constraints on nuclear effects in neutrino- and antineutrino-nucleus interactions.
The effects of nuclear re-interactions in the quasi-elastic neutrino-nucleus scattering are investigated with a phenomenological model. We found that the nuclear responses are lowered and their maxima are shifted towards higher excitation energies. T
his is reflected on the total neutrino-nucleus cross section in a general reduction of about 15% for neutrino energies above 300 MeV.