Reaction Mechanisms at MINER$ν$A

Abstract: The MINER$\nu$A experiment investigates neutrino interactions with nucleons needed for an understanding of electroweak interactions of hadrons. Since nuclear targets are being used many-body effects may affect the extracted cross sections and the energy reconstruction. The latter is essential for the extraction of neutrino oscillation properties. We investigate the influence of nuclear effects on neutrino interaction cross sections and make predictions for charged current quasielastic (QE) scattering, nucleon-knock-out and pion- and kaon-production on a CH target. The Giessen Boltzmann--Uehling--Uhlenbeck (GiBUU) model is used for the description of neutrino-nucleus reactions. Integrated and differential cross sections for inclusive neutrino scattering, QE processes and particle production for the MINER$\nu$A neutrino flux are calculated. The influence of final state interactions on the identification of these processes is discussed. In particular, energy and $Q^2$ reconstruction for the MINER$\nu$A flux are critically examined. The $Q^2$ dependence of the inclusive cross sections is found to be sensitive to the energy reconstruction. Cut-offs in flux distributions have a large effect. Final state interactions affect the pion kinetic energy spectra significantly and increase the kaon cross sections by cross feeding from other channels.