12916x Official

Lattice QCD and neutrino-nucleus scattering* - Springer Nature

The white paper outlines several primary goals for the USQCD community: 12916x

: Transitioning from single-nucleon calculations to multi-nucleon systems and light nuclei to understand "nuclear effects" that can bias experimental results. Strategic Importance : Calculating the axial form factors

The report identifies as a critical tool for current and future neutrino experiments like DUNE (Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment) and Hyper-Kamiokande . Because these experiments use heavy atomic nuclei (like Argon or Water) as targets, understanding the complex interactions between neutrinos and nucleons at a subatomic level is essential for extracting precise data on neutrino masses and flavor mixing. 2. Key Objectives & Scope 12916x

: Providing a theoretical "ground truth" to improve the phenomenological models currently used in neutrino event generators. 3. Strategic Importance

: Calculating the axial form factors of the nucleon, which are vital for predicting neutrino-nucleon cross-sections.

The report emphasizes that as experiments move into the "precision era," the limiting factor will no longer be the number of neutrinos captured (statistical error) but the accuracy of the interaction models (systematic error). Lattice QCD provides the only first-principles method to solve these strong-force problems.