Determination of the axial nucleon form factor from the MiniBooNE data

Abstract

Both neutrino and antineutrino charged-current quasi-elastic scattering on a carbon target are studied to investigate the nuclear effect on the determination of the axial form factor F_A(Q^2). A method for extraction of F_A(Q^2) from the flux-integrated $d\sigma/dQ^2$ cross section of (anti)neutrino scattering on nuclei is presented. Data from the MiniBooNE experiment are analyzed in the relativistic distorted-wave impulse approximation, Fermi gas model, and in the Fermi gas model with enhancements in the transverse cross section. We found that the values of the axial form factor, extracted in the impulse approximation and predicted by the dipole approximation with the axial mass M_A~1.37 GeV are in good agreement. On the other hand, the Q^2-dependence of F_A extracted in the approach with the transverse enhancement is found to differ significantly from the dipole approximation.