First Observation of Coherent ${\pi }^0$ Production in Neutrino Nucleus Interactions with $E_{\nu }<$ 2 GeV

Abstract

The MiniBooNE experiment at Fermilab has amassed the largest sample to date of ${\pi }^0$s produced in neutral current (NC) neutrino-nucleus interactions at low energy. This paper reports a measurement of the momentum distribution of ${\pi }^0$s produced in mineral oil (CH${}_2$) and the first observation of coherent ${\pi }^0$ production below 2 GeV. In the forward direction, the yield of events observed above the expectation for resonant production is attributed primarily to coherent production off carbon, but may also include a small contribution from diffractive production on hydrogen. Integrated over the MiniBooNE neutrino flux, the sum of the NC coherent and diffractive modes is found to be (19.5 $\pm$1.1 (stat) $\pm$2.5 (sys))% of all exclusive NC ${\pi }^0$ production at MiniBooNE. These measurements are of immediate utility because they quantify an important background to MiniBooNE's search for ${\nu }_{\mu }\to {\nu }_e$ oscillations.

arXiv commentSubmitted to Phys. Lett. B

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