Background: ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$ has been and is still widely used in neutrino-nucleus scattering and oscillation experiments. More recently, ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ has emerged as an important nuclear target for current and future experiments. Liquid argon time projection chambers (LArTPCs) possess various advantages in measuring electroweak neutrino-nucleus cross sections. Concurrent theoretical research is an evident necessity.

Purpose: ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ is larger than ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$, and one expects nuclear effects to play a bigger role in reactions. We present inclusive differential and total cross section results for charged-current neutrino scattering on ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ and perform a comparison with ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}, {}^{16}\mathrm{O}$, and ${}^{56}\mathrm{Fe}$ targets, to find out about the $A$-dependent behavior of model predictions.

Method: Our model starts off with a Hartree-Fock description of the nucleus, with the nucleons interacting through a mean field generated by an effective Skyrme force. Long-range correlations are introduced by means of a continuum random phase approximation approach. Further methods to improve the accuracy of model predictions are also incorporated in the calculations.

Results: We present calculations for ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}, {}^{16}\mathrm{O}, {}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$, and ${}^{56}\mathrm{Fe}$, showcasing differential cross sections over a broad range of kinematic values in the quasielastic regime. We furthermore show flux-folded results for ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ and we discuss the differences between nuclear responses.

Conclusions: At low incoming energies and forward scattering we identify an enhancement in the ${}^{40}\mathrm{Ar}$ cross section compared to ${}^{12}\mathrm{C}$, as well as in the high $\mathrm{<ruby><rb>\omega </rb><rt>おめが</rt></ruby>}$ (low $T_{\mathrm{<ruby><rb>\mu </rb><rt>みゅー</rt></ruby>}}$) region across the entire studied $E_{\mathrm{<ruby><rb>\nu </rb><rt>にゅー</rt></ruby>}}$ range. The contribution to the folded cross section of the reaction strength at values of $\mathrm{<ruby><rb>\omega </rb><rt>おめが</rt></ruby>}$ lower than 50 MeV for forward scattering is sizable.

• Received 25 April 2017
• Revised 27 March 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevC.97.044616