Electrons for Neutrinos: How electron scattering data can improve Neutrino oscillation experiments

Neutrino oscillation experiments rely on understanding the neutrino-detector interaction to determine the energy of the neutrinos and yield corrections in the detectors. Our knowledge of the neutrino-nucleus interaction will limit the accuracy of next generation neutrino experiments. Since the physics of electron-nucleus and neutrino-nucleus interactions are similar, electron scattering data can be used to test this knowledge and improve the nuclear models in neutrino event generators.

This talk will compare Jefferson Lab CLAS electron scattering data with neutrino event generators, such as GENIE, and will present tests of neutrino energy reconstruction techniques. Preliminary results show significant discrepancies between GENIE and the data and that far fewer electron scattering events reconstruct to the correct beam energy than expected.