Measurement of the Antineutrino Double-Differential Charged-Current Quasi-Elastic Scattering Cross Section at MINERvA

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xv

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2. Introduction and Motivation

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 1-14

3. Theory of Quasi-Elastic Neutrino Scattering on Nuclei

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 15-46

4. The MINERvA Experiment

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 47-90

5. Charged-Current Quasi-Elastic Event Selection

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 91-120

6. Double-Differential Cross Section Calculation

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 121-154

7. Systematic Uncertainties

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 155-211

8. Discussion of Results

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 213-239

9. Conclusions

   • Cheryl E. Patrick

   Pages 241-242

10. Back Matter

    Pages 243-341

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​This thesis represents the first double differential measurement of quasi-elastic anti-neutrino scattering in the few GeV range--a region of substantial theoretical and experimental interest as it is the kinematic region where studies of charge-parity (CP) violation in the neutrino sector most require precise understanding of the differences between anti-neutrino and neutrino scatter. This dissertation also presents total antineutrino-scintillator quasi-elastic cross sections as a function of energy, which is then compared to measurements from previous experiments. 



Next-generation neutrino oscillation experiments, such as DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande, hope to measure CP violation in the lepton sector. In order to do this, they must dramatically reduce their current levels of uncertainty, particularly those due to neutrino-nucleus interaction models. As CP violation is a measure of the difference between the oscillation properties of neutrinos and antineutrinos, data about how the less-studied antineutrinos interact is especially valuable.


The measurement described herewith determines the nuclear and instrumental effects that must be understood to undertake precision neutrino physics. As well as being useful to help reduce oscillation experiments' uncertainty, this data can also be used to study the prevalence of various correlation and final-state interaction effects within the nucleus.

In addition to being a substantial scientific advance, this thesis also serves as an outstanding introduction to the field of experimental neutrino physics for future students.

• neutrino oscillation
• quasi-elastic neutrino scattering
• NuMI neutrino beam
• double-differential cross section calculation
• alternative nuclear models
• charge-parity violation
• few-GeV range
• antineutrino-scintillator quasi-elastic cross sections
• final-state interaction effects

• Department of Physics & Astronomy, University College London, London, United Kingdom

  Cheryl E. Patrick

Cheryl Patrick received her bachelor's degree in physics from the University of Oxford in 1997. She then worked as a software developer until 2010, when she commenced her doctoral studies at Northwestern University. She received her master's degree from Northwestern in 2012, and her Ph.D. in 2016, both in physics. She is now a postdoctoral researcher at UCL.

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