- Physical Review Journals
All JournalsPhysics Magazine

Physical Review D

Reuse & Permissions

It is not necessary to obtain permission to reuse this article or its components as it is available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI are maintained. Please note that some figures may have been included with permission from other third parties. It is your responsibility to obtain the proper permission from the rights holder directly for these figures.

Export citation

Export citation

Choose format for download:

Download Citation
  • Open Access

Neutrino-induced charged-current coherent pion production for constraining the muon neutrino flux at DUNE

Mun Jung Jung1,*, Vishvas Pandey2, Gray Putnam2,†, and David W. Schmitz1

  • *Contact author: munjung@uchicago.edu
  • †Contact author: gputnam@fnal.gov
PDF

Phys. Rev. D 113, 112013 – Published 26 June, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/pydp-ghp4

Abstract

We study neutrino-induced charged-current coherent pion production (νμCC−Cohπ) as a tool for constraining the neutrino flux at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The neutrino energy and flavor in the process can be directly reconstructed from the outgoing particles, making it especially useful to specifically constrain the muon neutrino component of the total flux. The cross section of this process can be obtained using the Adler relation with the π-Ar elastic scattering cross section taken either from external data or, as we explore, from a simultaneous measurement in the DUNE near detector. We develop a procedure that leverages νμCC−Cohπ events to fit for the neutrino flux while simultaneously accounting for relevant effects in the cross section. We project that this method has the statistical power to constrain the uncertainty on the normalization of the flux at its peak to a few percent. This study demonstrates the potential utility of a νμCC−Cohπ flux constraint, though further work will be needed to determine the range of validity and precision of the Adler relation upon which it relies, as well as to measure the π-Ar elastic scattering cross section to the requisite precision. We discuss the experimental and phenomenological developments necessary to unlock the νμCC−Cohπ process as a “standard candle” for neutrino experiments.

View figure in article

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Article Text

References (92)

  1. B. Abi et al. (DUNE Collaboration), arXiv:2002.03005.
  2. E. Valencia et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 100, 092001 (2019).
  3. L. Zazueta et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 107, 012001 (2023).
  4. C. M. Marshall, K. S. McFarland, and C. Wilkinson, Phys. Rev. D 101, 032002 (2020).
  5. A. de Gouvea, P. A. N. Machado, Y. F. Perez-Gonzalez, and Z. Tabrizi, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 051803 (2020).
  6. P. Ballett, M. Hostert, S. Pascoli, Y. F. Perez-Gonzalez, Z. Tabrizi, and R. Zukanovich Funchal, Phys. Rev. D 100, 055012 (2019).
  7. K. B. M. Mahn et al. (SciBooNE and MiniBooNE Collaborations), Phys. Rev. D 85, 032007 (2012).
  8. S. R. Mishra, in Workshop on Hadron Structure Functions and Parton Distributions (World Scientific, Singapore, 1990).
  9. M. Tzanov et al. (NuTeV Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 74, 012008 (2006).
  10. R. Petti (NOMAD Collaboration), Nucl. Phys. B, Proc. Suppl. 159, 56 (2006).
  11. P. Adamson et al. (MINOS Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 81, 072002 (2010).
  12. J. Devan et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 94, 112007 (2016).
  13. A. Bashyal et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), J. Instrum. 16, P08068 (2021).
  14. H. Duyang, B. Guo, S. R. Mishra, and R. Petti, Phys. Lett. B 795, 424 (2019).
  15. R. Petti, R. J. Hill, and O. Tomalak, Phys. Rev. D 109, L051301 (2024).
  16. C. Wilkinson, S. Dolan, L. Pickering, and C. Wret, Eur. Phys. J. C 82, 808 (2022).
  17. P. Vilain et al. (CHARM-II Collaboration), Phys. Lett. B 313, 267 (1993).
  18. A. Higuera et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 261802 (2014).
  19. A. Mislivec et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 97, 032014 (2018).
  20. M. A. Ramírez et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 051801 (2023).
  21. K. Abe et al. (T2K Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 108, 092009 (2023).
  22. F. A. Alrahman et al. (ICARUS Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 134, 151801 (2025).
  23. P. Abratenko et al. (MicroBooNE Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 131801 (2019).
  24. R. Acciarri et al. (ArgoNeuT Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 99, 012002 (2019).
  25. W. Castiglioni, W. Foreman, I. Lepetic, B. R. Littlejohn, M. Malaker, and A. Mastbaum, Phys. Rev. D 102, 092010 (2020).
  26. S. L. Adler, Phys. Rev. 135, B963 (1964).
  27. S. L. Adler, Ann. Phys. (N.Y.) 50, 189 (1968).
  28. D. Rein and L. M. Sehgal, Nucl. Phys. B223, 29 (1983).
  29. C. Berger and L. M. Sehgal, Phys. Rev. D 79, 053003 (2009).
  30. A. Kartavtsev, E. A. Paschos, and G. J. Gounaris, Phys. Rev. D 74, 054007 (2006).
  31. B. Abi et al. (DUNE Collaboration), arXiv:1706.07081.
  32. B. Abi et al. (DUNE Collaboration), J. Instrum. 15, P12004 (2020).
  33. R. Acciarri et al. (LArIAT Collaboration), J. Instrum. 15, P04026 (2020).
  34. E. Gramellini et al. (LArIAT Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 106, 052009 (2022).
  35. R. L. Workman et al. (Particle Data Group), Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. 2022, 083C01 (2022).
  36. D. M. Webber et al. (MuLan Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 041803 (2011).
  37. J. L. Rosner, S. Stone, and R. S. Van de Water, arXiv:1509.02220.
  38. E. Hernandez, J. Nieves, and M. J. Vicente-Vacas, Phys. Rev. D 80, 013003 (2009).
  39. R. Acciarri et al. (MicroBooNE, LAr1-ND, and ICARUS-WA104 Collaborations), arXiv:1503.01520.
  40. P. A. Machado, O. Palamara, and D. W. Schmitz, Annu. Rev. Nucl. Part. Sci. 69, 363 (2019).
  41. H. Faissner et al., Phys. Lett. 125B, 230 (1983).
  42. E. Isiksal, D. Rein, and J. G. Morfin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 52, 1096 (1984).
  43. F. Bergsma et al. (CHARM Collaboration), Phys. Lett. 157B, 469 (1985).
  44. P. Vilain et al. (CHARM-II Collaboration), Phys. Lett. B 313, 267 (1993).
  45. H. J. Grabosch et al. (SKAT Collaboration), Z. Phys. C 31, 203 (1986).
  46. R. Nahnhauer (SKAT Collaboration), in VIII Warsaw Symposium on Elementary Particle Physics (World Scientific, Singapore, 1986), pp. 335–346.
  47. M. Hasegawa et al. (K2K Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 252301 (2005).
  48. K. Hiraide et al. (SciBooNE Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 78, 112004 (2008).
  49. A. A. Aguilar-Arevalo et al. (MiniBooNE Collaboration), Phys. Lett. B 664, 41 (2008).
  50. C. T. Kullenberg et al. (NOMAD Collaboration), Phys. Lett. B 682, 177 (2009).
  51. R. Acciarri et al. (ArgoNeuT Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 261801 (2014); 114, 039901(E) (2015).
  52. K. Abe et al. (T2K Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 192501 (2016).
  53. A. Higuera et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 261802 (2014).
  54. M. A. Ramírez et al. (MINERvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 051801 (2023).
  55. P. Adamson et al. (MINOS Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 94, 072006 (2016).
  56. M. A. Acero et al. (NOvA Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 102, 012004 (2020).
  57. S. L. Adler, 10.1142/5856 (2005).
  58. D. Rein and L. M. Sehgal, Ann. Phys. (N.Y.) 133, 79 (1981).
  59. D. Rein and L. M. Sehgal, Phys. Lett. B 657, 207 (2007).
  60. C. Berger and L. M. Sehgal, Phys. Rev. D 76, 113004 (2007).
  61. A. A. Belkov and B. Z. Kopeliovich, Sov. J. Nucl. Phys. 46, 499 (1987).
  62. E. A. Paschos and D. Schalla, Phys. Rev. D 80, 033005 (2009).
  63. N. G. Kelkar, E. Oset, and P. Fernandez de Cordoba, Phys. Rev. C 55, 1964 (1997).
  64. S. K. Singh, M. Sajjad Athar, and S. Ahmad, Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 241801 (2006).
  65. L. Alvarez-Ruso, L. S. Geng, S. Hirenzaki, and M. J. Vicente Vacas, Phys. Rev. C 75, 055501 (2007); 80, 019906(E) (2009).
  66. L. Alvarez-Ruso, L. S. Geng, and M. J. Vicente Vacas, Phys. Rev. C 76, 068501 (2007); 80, 029904(E) (2009).
  67. J. E. Amaro, E. Hernandez, J. Nieves, and M. Valverde, Phys. Rev. D 79, 013002 (2009).
  68. T. Leitner, U. Mosel, and S. Winkelmann, Phys. Rev. C 79, 057601 (2009).
  69. E. Hernandez, J. Nieves, and M. J. Vicente-Vacas, Phys. Rev. D 80, 013003 (2009).
  70. X. Zhang and B. D. Serot, Phys. Rev. C 86, 035504 (2012).
  71. S. X. Nakamura, T. Sato, T. S. H. Lee, B. Szczerbinska, and K. Kubodera, Phys. Rev. C 81, 035502 (2010).
  72. A. S. Meyer, M. Betancourt, R. Gran, and R. J. Hill, Phys. Rev. D 93, 113015 (2016).
  73. R. J. Hill and G. Paz, Phys. Rev. D 82, 113005 (2010).
  74. B. Bhattacharya, R. J. Hill, and G. Paz, Phys. Rev. D 84, 073006 (2011).
  75. D. Collaboration, arXiv:2511.13462.
  76. D. Ashery, Nucl. Phys. A335, 385 (1980).
  77. S. Agostinelli et al., Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 506, 250 (2003).
  78. V. M. Grichine, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. A 1053, 168394 (2023).
  79. O. Dumbrajs, J. Fröhlich, U. Klein, and H. G. Schlaile, Phys. Rev. C 29, 581 (1984).
  80. H. G. Schlaile, Phys. Rev. C 55, 2584 (1997).
  81. V. Hewes et al. (DUNE Collaboration), Instruments 5, 31 (2021).
  82. C. Andreopoulos, C. Barry, S. Dytman, H. Gallagher, T. Golan, R. Hatcher, G. Perdue, and J. Yarba, arXiv:1510.05494.
  83. E. L. Snider and G. Petrillo, J. Phys. Conf. Ser. 898, 042057 (2017).
  84. P. Abratenko et al. (ICARUS Collaboration), J. Instrum. 20, P01033 (2025).
  85. M. Oreglia, A study of the reactions ψ′→γγψ, Other thesis, Stanford University, 1980.
  86. P. Abratenko et al. (MicroBooNE Collaboration), Phys. Rev. D 113, 032007 (2026).
  87. L. Alvarez-Ruso, J. Nieves, I. R. Simo, M. Valverde, and M. J. Vicente Vacas, Phys. Rev. C 87, 015503 (2013).
  88. P. Abratenko et al. (MicroBooNE Collaboration), J. Instrum. 12, P10010 (2017).
  89. V. L. Highland, Nucl. Instrum. Methods 129, 497 (1975).
  90. G. R. Lynch and O. I. Dahl, Nucl. Instrum. Methods Phys. Res., Sect. B 58, 6 (1991).
  91. D. Foreman-Mackey, D. W. Hogg, D. Lang, and J. Goodman, Publ. Astron. Soc. Pac. 125, 306 (2013).
  92. J. Goodman and J. Weare, Commun. Appl. Math. Comput. Sci. 5, 65 (2010).

Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. D 113, 112013– Published 26 June, 2026
  • Received 21 February 2025
  • Revised 11 March 2026
  • Accepted 12 May 2026
Crossmark - Check for updates button
Creative Commons Logo

Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

Published by the American Physical Society

Sign In to Your Journals Account

Filter

Filter

Article Lookup

Enter a citation