On extraction of value of axial mass from MiniBooNE neutrino quasi-elastic double differential cross section data

Abstract

MiniBooNE charge current quasi-elastic double differential cross section data are analyzed and confronted with predictions of two theoretical nucleus models: Fermi gas and spectral function. The fitting procedure includes the overall flux uncertainty multiplicative factor. In order to obtain a reliable value of the axial mass, bins with large contribution from small momentum transfer are eliminated from the analysis. It is shown that the best fit axial mass value becomes smaller as the momentum transfer cut is more restrictive. For $q_{cut}=500$~MeV/c the obtained values of axial mass are $M_A=1350\pm 66$~MeV for the Fermi gas and $M_A=1343\pm 60$~MeV for the spectral function. The value $M_A=1030$~MeV is excluded on the level which goes far beyond $5\sigma$.