Development of a new method for neutrino interaction measurements with the DUNE-PRISM detector

This report presents the work towards a data-driven technique to investigate neutrino cross-section measurements. By linearly combining neutrino flux spectra measured at different off-axis positions at the DUNE Near Detector, and by finding the correct coefficients, Gaussian target flux spectra can be produced. The results outlined in the DUNE ND CDR were successfully reproduced. This new method allows for previously inaccessible variables to be investigated by extending the neutrino flux matrix to take into account lepton energy and angle. This was first applied to the energy transferred to the nucleus, $E_\nu - E_l$, before being generalised to arbitrary functions. Other new variables for which this was applied were the elasticity of the interaction, $\frac{E_l}{E_\nu}$, and the $Q^2$ value. By comparing the coefficients for $E_\nu - E_l$ to simulated data, it was shown that this method can successfully identify the relevant interaction modes at a given energy transfer, which could allow for neutrino cross-section measurements and neutrino interaction model improvements.