Emission of neutron-proton and proton-proton pairs in neutrino scattering

Understand

We use a recently developed model of relativistic meson-exchange currents to compute the neutron-proton and proton-proton yields in $(\nu_\mu,\mu^-)$ scattering from $^{12}$C in the 2p-2h channel.

• We compute the response functions and cross sections with the relativistic Fermi gas model for different kinematics from intermediate to high momentum transfers.
• We find a large contribution of neutron-proton configurations in the initial state, as compared to proton-proton pairs.
• In the case of charge-changing neutrino scattering the 2p-2h cross section of proton-proton emission ({\it i.e.,} np in the initial state) is much larger than for neutron-proton emission ({\it i.e.,} two neutrons in the initial state) by a $(\omega,q)$-dependent factor.