Improved constraint on the MiNeRν A medium energy neutrino flux using V̄e¯ → V̄e¯ data

Abstract

Processes with precisely known cross sections, like neutrino-electron elastic scattering (νe⁻ → νe⁻) and inverse muon decay (νµe⁻ → μ⁻νₑ) have been used by MINERνA to constrain the uncertainty on the neutrinos at the main injector (NuMI) neutrino beam flux. This work presents a new measurement of neutrino elastic scattering with electrons using the medium energy V̄µ-enhanced NuMI beam. A sample of 578 events after background subtraction is used in combination with the previous measurement on the νµ beam and the inverse muon decay measurement to reduce the uncertainty on the νµ flux in the νµ-enhanced beam from 7.6% to 3.3% and the V̄µ flux in the V̄µ -enhanced beam from 7.8% to 4.7%.