Speaker
Description
Summary
Fermilab will host a number of new neutrino experiments over the upcoming years, transitioning to an era of precision neutrino oscillation measurements. The success of these next generation neutrino experiments demands a better understanding of cross section measurement uncertainties, for which the largest contribution comes from the nucleon axial form factor. The standard choice of axial form factor has errors which are which are underestimated due to the model ansatz and which are degenerate with nuclear model errors. We seek to break the degeneracy with nuclear modeling and to obtain a realistic estimate of the uncertainties associated with nuclear form factors. We take a two-prong approach, studying the nucleon axial form factor by fitting deuterium bubble chamber data and performing an ab-initio calculation with lattice QCD. We perform fits using a model-independent formalism, which constrains the form factor shape using analyticity arguments rather than model assumptions. The resulting form factor parameter values and correlations is implemented in the GENIE neutrino event generator and can be directly incorporated into nuclear modeling and neutrino oscillation studies.