Nuclear effects in electron- and neutrino-nucleus scattering within a relativistic quantum mechanical framework

We study the impact of the description of the knockout nucleon wave function on electron- and neutrino-induced quasielastic and single-pion production cross sections. We work in a fully relativistic and quantum mechanical framework, where the relativistic mean-field model is used to describe the target nucleus. The focus is on Pauli blocking and the distortion of the final nucleon, these two nuclear effects are separated and analyzed in detail. We find that a proper quantum mechanical treatment of these effects is crucial to provide the correct magnitude and shape of the inclusive cross section. Also, this seems to be key to predict the right ratio of muon- to electron-neutrino cross sections at very forward scattering angles.Comment: 14 pages, 14 figure

Six months follow up of a single intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin for symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy and the safety of the enzymatic vitreolysis with a single intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin 125 μg across a group of patients with symptomatic vitreomacular adhesion (sVMA) during 6 months follow up. Design: A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-masked, 6-month follow up study. Participants: A total of 28 patients (12 M / 16F) (19 receiving ocriplasmin; 9 receiving placebo), mean aged 71 years old, diagnosed with sVMA, VMT, FTMH e ERM by optical coherence tomography. Methods: A single intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin 125 μg or placebo. Primary endpoint was sVMA resolution or FTMH closure. Secondary endpoint included the integrity of the external membrane and the inner and outer segments of the photoreceptor interface using OCT. The evaluation was carried out at baseline and during 6 months after intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin or placebo. Results: After a 6 months follow-up period, the rate of VMA resolution was 42.1% in the Ocriplasmin group vs the 22% in the placebo group. FTMH closure rate was 50% in the Ocriplasmin group vs 0% in the placebo group. The best results were optained within 28 days from the treatment. No case of uveitis, endophthalmitis, retinal tears, retinal detachment or bleeding during followup were reported. One patient reported floaters and transitional photopsias. Conclusions: The study confirmed the efficacy and safety of Ocriplasmin injection for patients with VMT, including when associated with full-thickness macular holes during six months follow up. Long term studies are certainly needed to confirm these results

Forbidden transitions in neutral and charged current interactions between low-energy neutrinos and Argon

Background: The study of low-energy neutrinos and their interactions with atomic nuclei is crucial to several open problems in physics, including the neutrino mass hierarchy, CP-violation, candidates of Beyond Standard Model physics and supernova dynamics. Examples of experiments include CAPTAIN at SNS as well as DUNE's planned detection program of supernova neutrinos. Purpose: We present cross section calculations for quasielastic charged current and neutral current neutrinos at low energies, with a focus on $^{40}$Ar. We also take a close look at pion decay-at-rest neutrino spectra, which are used in e.g. the SNS experiment at Oakridge. Method and results: We employ a Hartree Fock + Continuum Random Phase Approximations (HF+CRPA) framework, which allows us to model the responses and include the effects of long-range correlations. It is expected to provide a good framework to calculate forbidden transitions, whose contribution which we show to be non-negligible. Conclusions: Forbidden transitions can be expected to contribute sizeably to the reaction strength at typical low-energy kinematics, such as DAR neutrinos. Modeling and Monte Carlo simulations need to take all due care to account for the influence of their contributions.Comment: 11 pages, 16 figures; minor corrections to v