Eur. Phys. J. C 20, 13-27
DOI: 10.1007/s100520100656
On particle production for high energy neutrino beams
M. Bonesini1, A. Marchionni2, F. Pietropaolo3 and T. Tabarelli de Fatis11 INFN, Sezione di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milan, Italy
2 Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, Batavia, IL 60510, USA
3 CERN, 1211 Geneva 23, Switzerland
(Received: 14 February 2001 / Revised version: 15 March 2001 / Published online: 12 April 2001 -© Springer-Verlag 2001)
Abstract
Analytical formulae for the calculation of secondary particle
yields in p-A interactions are given. These formulae can be of great
practical importance for fast calculations of neutrino fluxes and for
designing new neutrino beam-lines. The formulae are based on a
parameterization of the inclusive invariant cross sections for
secondary particle production measured in p-Be interactions. Data
collected in different energy ranges and kinematic regions are
used. The accuracy of the fit to the data with the empirical formulae
adopted is within the experimental uncertainties. Prescriptions to
extrapolate this parameterization to finite targets and to targets of
different materials are given. The results obtained are then used as
an input for the simulation of neutrino beams. We show that
our approach describes well the main characteristics of measured
neutrino spectra at CERN. Thus it may be used in fast simulations
aiming at the optimisation of the long-baseline neutrino beams at CERN
and FNAL. In particular we will show our predictions for the CNGS beam
from CERN to Gran Sasso.
© Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 2001
