Effects due to Resonant and Continuum States on the Neutrino-Nucleus Cross Section

Estimates of the neutrino-nucleus cross section, for the charged-current process nu+208Pb-> e+208Bi, are presented. The nuclear structure calculations have been performed by considering bound, resonant, and continuum states in the single-particle basis used to construct correlated proton-particle neutron-hole configurations. The observed features of the spectrum of 208Bi have been reproduced, as accurately as possible, by diagonalizing a phenomenological multipole-multipole interaction. Calculations of the cross section, for values of q 200 $ MeV, were performed, and the dependence of the results upon the choice of the residual proton-neutron interaction was investigated. It is found that the inclusion of resonant states in the calculation of the nuclear wave functions increases the neutrino-nucleus cross section, and that the contribution of the continuum is negligible.