Neutral Current Neutrino Scattering from the Deuteron

Exclusive electron scattering from the deuteron at GeV energies has been studied in experiments at Jefferson Lab and treated using relativistic modeling. The theoretical description of initial- and final-state interactions developed for electron scattering can also be used for neutrino scattering. Employing a deuteron target, for instance using heavy water, allows one to reconstruct the kinematics of the neutrino reaction, in particular the incident neutrino energy.

 

I will describe the formalism adapted for neutrino scattering, and I will discuss the relevant kinematic limits. Neutral current neutrino scattering from the deuteron might prove to be useful for current and future neutrino oscillation experiments, as well as for further exploration of the strangeness content of the nucleon.