This paper gives the results of a study of inelastic charged-current interactions of muon-type neutrinos with hydrogen and deuterium targets using the Argonne 12-foot bubble chamber. We discuss in detail the separation of the events from background. For the single-pion production reactions νp→μ−pπ+, νn→μ−nπ+, and νn→μ−pπ0, energy-dependent cross sections, differential cross sections, invariant-mass distributions, and the Δ++(1236) decay angular distribution are presented. These data are also used to study the isospin properties of the πN system. Comparisons of the data with models of single-pion production are made, and a direct test of partial conservation of the axial-vector current is discussed. Cross sections and invariant-mass distributions are given for the reactions in which more than one pion is produced. Ten events of strange-particle production were found, and the properties of these events are discussed. The energy dependence of the total νp and νn cross sections from threshold to 6 GeV was determined, and the σ(νn)σ(νp) ratio measured. This ratio and the inclusive x and y distributions rapidly approach the scaling distributions expected from the quark-parton model.
Measured charged current total cross section.
This paper gives a detailed description of an experiment which studies the interactions of muon-type neutrinos in hydrogen and deuterium. The experiment was performed at the Zero Gradient Synchrotron using the wide-band neutrino beam incident on the Argonne 12-foot bubble chamber filled with hydrogen and deuterium. The neutrino energy spectrum peaks at 0.5 GeV and has a tail extending to 6 GeV. The shape and intensity of the flux is determined using measurements of pion yields from beryllium. The produced pions are focused by one or (for the latter part of the experiment) two magnetic horns. A total of 364000 pictures were taken with a hydrogen filling of the bubble chamber and 903 000 with a deuterium filling. The scanning and other analyses of the events are described. The most abundant reaction occurs off neutrons and is quasi-elastic scattering νd→μ−pps. The separation of these events from background channels is discussed. The total and differential cross sections are analyzed to obtain the axial-vector form factor of the nucleon. Our result, expressed in terms of a dipole form factor, gives an axial-vector mass of 0.95±0.09 GeV. A comparison is made to previous measurements using neutrino beams, and also to determinations based upon threshold pion electroproduction experiments. In addition, the data are used to measure the weak vector form factor and so check the conserved-vector-current hypothesis.
Measured Quasi-Elastic total cross section.
Forum