Nucleon axial form factor from a Bayesian neural-network analysis of neutrino-scattering data

Abstract

The Bayesian approach for feed-forward neural networks has been applied to the extraction of the nucleon axial form factor from the neutrino-deuteron scattering data measured by the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) bubble chamber experiment. This framework allows to perform a model-independent determination of the axial form factor from data.. When the low $0.05 < Q^2 < 0.10$ GeV$^2$ data is included in the analysis, the resulting axial radius disagrees with available determinations. Furthermore, a large sensitivity to the corrections from the deuteron structure is obtained. In turn, when the low-$Q^2$ region is not taken into account, with or without deuteron corrections, no significant deviations from the dipole ansatz have been observed. A more accurate determination of the nucleon axial form factor requires new precise measurements of neutrino-induced quasielastic scattering on hydrogen and deuterium.