Measurement of the neutrino component of an antineutrino beam observed by a nonmagnetized detector

Abstract

Two methods are employed to measure the neutrino flux of the antineutrino-mode beam observed by the MiniBooNE detector. The first method compares data to simulated event rates in a high-purity ν[subscript μ]-induced charged-current single π[superscript +] (CC1π[superscript +]) sample while the second exploits the difference between the angular distributions of muons created in ν[subscript μ] and ν̅[subscript μ] charged-current quasielastic (CCQE) interactions. The results from both analyses indicate the prediction of the neutrino flux component of the predominately antineutrino beam is overestimated—the CC1π[superscript +] analysis indicates the predicted ν[subscript μ] flux should be scaled by 0.76±0.11, while the CCQE angular fit yields 0.65±0.23. The energy spectrum of the flux prediction is checked by repeating the analyses in bins of reconstructed neutrino energy, and the results show that the spectral shape is well-modeled. These analyses are a demonstration of techniques for measuring the neutrino contamination of antineutrino beams observed by future nonmagnetized detectors.