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arxiv: 2604.24925 · v2 · pith:4WNYATG3new · submitted 2026-04-27 · ✦ hep-ex

Measurement of muon (anti-)neutrino charged-current quasielastic-like cross section using off-axis NuMI beam at ICARUS

ICARUS Collaboration: F. Abd Alrahman , P. Abratenko , N. Abrego-Martinez , A. Aduszkiewicz , F. Akbar , L. Aliaga Soplin , M. Artero Pons , J. Asaadi
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W. F. Badgett B. Baibussinov B. Behera V. Bellini R. Benocci J. Berger S. Bertolucci M. Betancourt A. Blanchet F. Boffelli M. Bonesini T. Boone B. Bottino A. Braggiotti D. Brailsford S. J. Brice V. Brio C. Brizzolari H. S. Budd A. Campani A. Campos D. Carber M. Carneiro I. Caro Terrazas H. Carranza F. Castillo Fernandez S. Centro G. Cerati A. Chatterjee D. Cherdack S. Cherubini N. Chithirasreemadam M. Cicerchia T. E. Coan A. Cocco M. R. Convery L. Cooper-Troendle S. Copello H. Da Motta M. Dallolio A. A. Dange A. de Roeck S. Di Domizio L. Di Noto D. Di Ferdinando M. Diwan S. Dolan S. Donati F. Drielsma J. Dyer A. Falcone C. Farnese A. Fava N. Gallice C. Gatto D. Gibin A. Gioiosa W. Gu A. Guglielmi G. Gurung K. Hassinin H. Hausner A. Heggestuen B. Howard R. Howell Z. Hulcher G. Ingratta M. S. Ismail C. James W. Jang K. Jung Y.-J. Jwa L. Kashur W. Ketchum J. S. Kim D.-H. Koh J. Larkin Y. Li C. Mariani C. M. Marshall S. Martynenko N. Mauri K. S. McFarland D. P. M\'endez A. Menegolli G. Meng O. G. Miranda A. Mogan N. Moggi E. Montagna C. Montanari A. Montanari M. Mooney M. Moore G. Moreno-Granados J. Mueller M. Murphy D. Naples S. Palestini M. Pallavicini V. Paolone L. Pasqualini L. Patrizii G. Petrillo C. Petta V. Pia F. Pietropaolo F. Poppi M. Pozzato M.L. Pumo G. Putnam X. Qian A. Rappoldi G. L. Raselli S. Repetto F. Resnati A. M. Ricci M. Rosenberg M. Rossella N. Rowe P. Roy C. Rubbia A. Ruggeri S. Saha G. Salmoria S. Samanta A. Scaramelli D. Schmitz A. Schukraft D. Senadheera S-H. Seo F. Sergiampietri G. Sirri J. S. Smedley J. Smith M. Sotgia L. Stanco J. Stewart H. A. Tanaka M. Tenti K. Terao F. Terranova V. Togo D. Torretta M. Torti R. Triozzi Y.-T. Tsai K.V. Tsang T. Usher F. Varanini N. Vardy S. Ventura M. Vicenzi C. Vignoli F.A. Wieler Z. Williams R. J. Wilson P. Wilson J. Wolfs T. Wongjirad A. Wood E. Worcester M. Worcester S. Yadav H. Yu J. Yu A. Zani J. Zennamo J. Zettlemoyer S. Zucchelli
This is my paper

Pith reviewed 2026-05-07 17:07 UTC · model grok-4.3

classification ✦ hep-ex
keywords neutrino cross sectionsCCQE-likeICARUSNuMI beamnuclear effectsevent generatorsdifferential cross sections
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The pith

ICARUS measures muon neutrino CCQE-like cross sections that agree with multiple event generators.

A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.

The paper presents the first neutrino cross-section measurement from the ICARUS detector at Fermilab using NuMI beam data equivalent to 2.5 times 10 to the 20 protons on target. It defines the signal as events with no pions in the final state and extracts flux-averaged differential cross sections in variables that probe nuclear effects, including the outgoing lepton angle, the lepton-proton opening angle, and two transverse kinematic imbalance quantities. These results are compared directly to predictions from several neutrino event generators, with statistical agreement found across the models. The current uncertainties, however, remain too large to favor any one generator over the others. This measurement supplies new data on neutrino-nucleus interactions that oscillation experiments must model accurately.

Core claim

Using off-axis NuMI beam data collected by ICARUS corresponding to 2.5 times 10 to the 20 protons-on-target in neutrino mode, the collaboration extracts flux-averaged differential cross sections for muon (anti-)neutrino charged-current quasielastic-like interactions defined by no pions in the final state. The cross sections are reported in the lepton angle, lepton-proton opening angle, and two transverse kinematic imbalance variables. Predictions from a variety of neutrino event generators agree with the extracted cross sections, but the present uncertainty budget does not supply enough discriminating power to prefer one model.

What carries the argument

Flux-averaged differential cross sections in lepton angle, lepton-proton opening angle, and transverse kinematic imbalance variables for CCQE-like events, extracted after event selection and background subtraction.

If this is right

  • These cross sections constrain models of nuclear effects that dominate systematic uncertainties in neutrino oscillation measurements.
  • The selected kinematic variables provide direct sensitivity to final-state interactions and Fermi motion inside the nucleus.
  • Additional ICARUS data can tighten the uncertainty budget and begin to discriminate among generators.
  • The results supply a benchmark for neutrino-nucleus scattering that other experiments can use to validate their interaction models.

Where Pith is reading between the lines

These are editorial extensions of the paper, not claims the author makes directly.

  • With more exposure, the same variables could resolve which nuclear model best describes the data.
  • Transverse imbalance measurements may highlight interaction mechanisms that current generators treat differently.
  • The approach can be extended to separate neutrino and antineutrino samples to search for charge-dependent nuclear effects.

Load-bearing premise

The event selection and background subtraction accurately isolate true CCQE-like events with minimal contamination from other interaction channels or mis-reconstruction.

What would settle it

A future analysis with substantially higher statistics or reduced systematic uncertainties that reveals significant disagreement between the data and all tested neutrino event generators would falsify the claim of agreement.

Figures

Figures reproduced from arXiv: 2604.24925 by A. A. Dange, A. Aduszkiewicz, A. Blanchet, A. Braggiotti, A. Campani, A. Campos, A. Chatterjee, A. Cocco, A. de Roeck, A. Falcone, A. Fava, A. Gioiosa, A. Guglielmi, A. Heggestuen, A. Menegolli, A. Mogan, A. Montanari, A. M. Ricci, A. Rappoldi, A. Ruggeri, A. Scaramelli, A. Schukraft, A. Wood, A. Zani, B. Baibussinov, B. Behera, B. Bottino, B. Howard, C. Brizzolari, C. Farnese, C. Gatto, C. James, C. Mariani, C. M. Marshall, C. Montanari, C. Petta, C. Rubbia, C. Vignoli, D. Brailsford, D. Carber, D. Cherdack, D. Di Ferdinando, D. Gibin, D.-H. Koh, D. Naples, D. P. M\'endez, D. Schmitz, D. Senadheera, D. Torretta, E. Montagna, E. Worcester, F. Akbar, F.A. Wieler, F. Boffelli, F. Castillo Fernandez, F. Drielsma, F. Pietropaolo, F. Poppi, F. Resnati, F. Sergiampietri, F. Terranova, F. Varanini, G. Cerati, G. Gurung, G. Ingratta, G. L. Raselli, G. Meng, G. Moreno-Granados, G. Petrillo, G. Putnam, G. Salmoria, G. Sirri, H. A. Tanaka, H. Carranza, H. da Motta, H. Hausner, H. S. Budd, H. Yu, I. Caro Terrazas, ICARUS Collaboration: F. Abd Alrahman, J. Asaadi, J. Berger, J. Dyer, J. Larkin, J. Mueller, J. S. Kim, J. Smith, J. S. Smedley, J. Stewart, J. Wolfs, J. Yu, J. Zennamo, J. Zettlemoyer, K. Hassinin, K. Jung, K. S. McFarland, K. Terao, K.V. Tsang, L. Aliaga Soplin, L. Cooper-Troendle, L. Di Noto, L. Kashur, L. Pasqualini, L. Patrizii, L. Stanco, M. Artero Pons, M. Betancourt, M. Bonesini, M. Carneiro, M. Cicerchia, M. Dallolio, M. Diwan, M.L. Pumo, M. Mooney, M. Moore, M. Murphy, M. Pallavicini, M. Pozzato, M. R. Convery, M. Rosenberg, M. Rossella, M. S. Ismail, M. Sotgia, M. Tenti, M. Torti, M. Vicenzi, M. Worcester, N. Abrego-Martinez, N. Chithirasreemadam, N. Gallice, N. Mauri, N. Moggi, N. Rowe, N. Vardy, O. G. Miranda, P. Abratenko, P. Roy, P. Wilson, R. Benocci, R. Howell, R. J. Wilson, R. Triozzi, S. Bertolucci, S. Centro, S. Cherubini, S. Copello, S. Di Domizio, S. Dolan, S. Donati, S-H. Seo, S. J. Brice, S. Martynenko, S. Palestini, S. Repetto, S. Saha, S. Samanta, S. Ventura, S. Yadav, S. Zucchelli, T. Boone, T. E. Coan, T. Usher, T. Wongjirad, V. Bellini, V. Brio, V. Paolone, V. Pia, V. Togo, W. F. Badgett, W. Gu, W. Jang, W. Ketchum, X. Qian, Y.-J. Jwa, Y. Li, Y.-T. Tsai, Z. Hulcher, Z. Williams.

Figure 1
Figure 1. Figure 1: FIG. 1. The simulated neutrino fluxes at the ICARUS detec view at source ↗
Figure 2
Figure 2. Figure 2: FIG. 2. Reconstructed cos view at source ↗
Figure 3
Figure 3. Figure 3: FIG. 3. Reconstructed view at source ↗
Figure 5
Figure 5. Figure 5: FIG. 5. (Left) The data-to-prediction ratio of differential view at source ↗
Figure 4
Figure 4. Figure 4: FIG. 4. The true leading pion kinetic energy for the interac view at source ↗
Figure 6
Figure 6. Figure 6: FIG. 6. Reconstructed cos view at source ↗
Figure 7
Figure 7. Figure 7: FIG. 7. Reconstructed view at source ↗
Figure 11
Figure 11. Figure 11: Neut is the least compatible in the angular vari￾ables with a p-value of 0.178 but shows nice agreement in the TKI variables. The difference between hA2018 and hN2018 are not noticeable from the δpT but becomes larger at higher angles of δαT . The unique shapes pre￾dicted by NuWro and GiBBU in the δpT distribution view at source ↗
Figure 8
Figure 8. Figure 8: FIG. 8. The extracted cross sections (black marker) compared to reference GENIE model ( view at source ↗
Figure 9
Figure 9. Figure 9: FIG. 9. An illustration of fractional uncertainties of each group of systematic uncertainty from the “N-minus-X method.” The view at source ↗
Figure 10
Figure 10. Figure 10: FIG. 10. The extracted cross section on cos view at source ↗
Figure 11
Figure 11. Figure 11: FIG. 11. The extracted cross section on view at source ↗
Figure 13
Figure 13. Figure 13: FIG. 13. A fit is performed to find the set of template view at source ↗
Figure 12
Figure 12. Figure 12: FIG. 12. A simple example experiment is introduced to de view at source ↗
Figure 15
Figure 15. Figure 15: FIG. 15. The global LLH distributions from the angular (top) view at source ↗
Figure 14
Figure 14. Figure 14: FIG. 14. The post-fit covariance matrix of the fit parameters view at source ↗
Figure 19
Figure 19. Figure 19: FIG. 19. The penalty term of the LLH for each group of view at source ↗
Figure 20
Figure 20. Figure 20: FIG. 20. LLH view at source ↗
Figure 21
Figure 21. Figure 21: FIG. 21. The cross sections extracted from “uncorrelated” fits (orange marker) are compared to results reported in the top view at source ↗
Figure 22
Figure 22. Figure 22: FIG. 22. The extracted cross sections (black marker) compared to reference GENIE model ( view at source ↗
Figure 23
Figure 23. Figure 23: FIG. 23. The extracted cross section measured in cos view at source ↗
read the original abstract

This paper presents the first neutrino cross-section measurement from the ICARUS detector at Fermilab, using NuMI (Neutrinos at the Main Injector) beam data collected from two beam operation periods corresponding to $2.5\times10^{20}$ protons-on-target in neutrino beam mode. The signal is defined by events with no pions produced in the final state, a topology dominated by charged-current quasielastic-like (CCQE-like) signatures. The measurement is reported as flux-averaged differential cross sections as functions of kinematic variables that provide sensitivity to the complex nuclear effects which often dominate the systematic uncertainty budgets of neutrino oscillation measurements. Specifically, this work reports cross sections in two angular variables -- the angle of the outgoing lepton and the opening angle between the lepton and leading proton -- and two variables characterizing the kinematic imbalance between the muon and proton in the plane transverse to the incoming neutrino. These results are compared against predictions from a variety of neutrino event generators, with $p$-values calculated between the extracted cross sections and each prediction. Overall, the predictions agree with the data; however, the current budget of uncertainties does not yet provide sufficient discriminating power to favor a specific model.

Editorial analysis

A structured set of objections, weighed in public.

Desk editor's note, referee report, simulated authors' rebuttal, and a circularity audit. Tearing a paper down is the easy half of reading it; the pith above is the substance, this is the friction.

Referee Report

1 major / 1 minor

Summary. The paper reports the first neutrino cross-section measurement from the ICARUS detector using 2.5×10^{20} POT of NuMI neutrino-mode beam data. It defines a CCQE-like signal topology (no pions in the final state) and extracts flux-averaged differential cross sections in lepton angle, lepton-proton opening angle, and transverse kinematic imbalance variables. These are compared to predictions from multiple neutrino event generators via p-values, with the conclusion that models agree with the data but current uncertainties lack power to discriminate among them.

Significance. As the inaugural cross-section result from ICARUS, this work supplies new data on nuclear effects in neutrino-nucleus scattering that are directly relevant to systematic uncertainties in oscillation experiments. The choice of kinematic variables sensitive to final-state interactions and the use of p-value comparisons provide a quantitative framework for generator testing, assuming the selected sample purity is robustly established.

major comments (1)
  1. [Event selection and background subtraction section] Event selection and background subtraction section: The manuscript supplies no quantitative purity estimate, sideband validation, or breakdown of contamination from resonant, DIS, or mis-reconstructed pion events in the no-pion CCQE-like sample. Because the extracted differential cross sections and all subsequent generator comparisons rest on accurate isolation of the intended topology after efficiency correction, even a 10-15% under-subtraction in any bin would shift the reported values and alter the apparent level of agreement.
minor comments (1)
  1. [Abstract] Abstract and title: The title refers to muon (anti-)neutrino interactions while the text specifies data collection exclusively in neutrino beam mode; this should be clarified for consistency.

Simulated Author's Rebuttal

1 responses · 0 unresolved

We thank the referee for their thorough review and for highlighting the importance of clearly documenting the purity and background composition of the CCQE-like sample. We agree that quantitative estimates of contamination and validation procedures are essential for the credibility of the extracted cross sections. Below we address the single major comment point by point and outline the revisions we will make.

read point-by-point responses

  1. Referee: The manuscript supplies no quantitative purity estimate, sideband validation, or breakdown of contamination from resonant, DIS, or mis-reconstructed pion events in the no-pion CCQE-like sample. Because the extracted differential cross sections and all subsequent generator comparisons rest on accurate isolation of the intended topology after efficiency correction, even a 10-15% under-subtraction in any bin would shift the reported values and alter the apparent level of agreement.

    Authors: We acknowledge that the submitted manuscript does not contain a dedicated quantitative purity estimate, sideband validation, or explicit breakdown of contamination sources (resonant, DIS, and mis-reconstructed pions) for the no-pion CCQE-like selection. In the revised version we will add a new subsection (or expand the existing Event Selection section) that reports: (i) the overall and bin-by-bin purity obtained from the full Monte Carlo simulation, (ii) the fractional contributions from resonant, DIS, and mis-reconstructed pion events, and (iii) validation of the background model using data sidebands (e.g., events with one or more reconstructed pions and events failing the transverse kinematic imbalance cuts). These additions will be accompanied by the corresponding systematic uncertainties. We agree that this information is required to substantiate the robustness of the efficiency-corrected cross sections and the subsequent generator comparisons. revision: yes

Circularity Check

0 steps flagged

No significant circularity in data-driven cross-section measurement

full rationale

This is a standard experimental measurement paper extracting flux-averaged differential cross sections directly from observed ICARUS detector events after background subtraction, efficiency correction, and unfolding. The signal definition (no pions in final state) is a topological selection on data, not a self-referential fit. Generator comparisons are post-extraction external checks with p-values, and the paper explicitly states insufficient uncertainty budget for model discrimination. No self-definitional equations, fitted inputs renamed as predictions, or load-bearing self-citations appear in the derivation chain. The result is independent of the models it is compared against.

Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger

0 free parameters · 2 axioms · 0 invented entities

The measurement rests on standard assumptions about neutrino interactions and detector response rather than new postulates; no free parameters or invented entities are introduced in the abstract.

axioms (2)
  • domain assumption Neutrino interactions are governed by the Standard Model with well-modeled nuclear effects in argon
    Invoked to define CCQE-like signal and interpret comparisons to event generators.
  • domain assumption NuMI beam flux and detector efficiency are independently calibrated to sufficient precision
    Required for converting observed events into flux-averaged cross sections.

pith-pipeline@v0.9.0 · 6463 in / 1339 out tokens · 39142 ms · 2026-05-07T17:07:13.440341+00:00 · methodology

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