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  • Open Access

Understanding neutrino pion production with the GiBUU model

Qiyu Yan1,2,*, Kaile Wen3, Kai Gallmeister4,†, Xianguo Lu2,‡, Ulrich Mosel4,§, and Yangheng Zheng1

  • *Contact author: yanqiyu17@mails.ucas.edu.cn
  • †Contact author: kai.gallmeister@gmail.com
  • ‡Contact author: xianguo.lu@warwick.ac.uk
  • §Contact author: mosel@physik.uni-giessen.de
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Phys. Rev. D 112, 093007 – Published 26 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/yzqx-7ttd

Abstract

Pion production is a major source of systematic uncertainty in neutrino oscillation measurements. We report a systematic investigation of neutrino-induced pion production using MINERvA and MicroBooNE data within the GiBUU theoretical framework. The analysis begins by establishing baseline model parameters using inclusive and pionless data from MINERvA, MicroBooNE, and T2K experiments. We then examine the role of in-medium effects, including resonance broadening and nucleon-nucleon final-state interactions. While agreement with individual datasets can be achieved through specific model configurations, we demonstrate the difficulty of a unified description across all experiments: MINERvA measurements prefer minimum in-medium modifications, whereas MicroBooNE data require the maximum in-medium enhancement, revealing the complexity and richness of the underlying nuclear dynamics.

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Phys. Rev. D 112, 093007– Published 26 November, 2025
  • Received 30 July 2025
  • Accepted 13 November 2025
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