We report the first electron neutrino cross section measurements on argon, based on data collected by the ArgoNeuT experiment running in the GeV-scale NuMI beamline at Fermilab. A flux-averaged ${\nu }_e+{\overline{\nu }}_e$ total and a lepton angle differential cross section are extracted using 13 ${\nu }_e$ and ${\overline{\nu }}_e$ events identified with fully automated selection and reconstruction. We employ electromagnetic-induced shower characterization and analysis tools developed to identify ${\nu }_e/{\overline{\nu }}_e$-like events among complex interaction topologies present in ArgoNeuT data ($⟨E_{{\overline{\nu }}_e}⟩=4.3\mathrm{GeV}$ and $⟨E_{{\nu }_e}⟩=10.5\mathrm{GeV}$). The techniques are widely applicable to searches for electron-flavor appearance at short and long baseline using liquid argon time projection chamber technology. Notably, the data-driven studies of GeV-scale ${\nu }_e/{\overline{\nu }}_e$ interactions presented here probe an energy regime relevant for future DUNE oscillation physics.

• Received 4 April 2020
• Revised 1 June 2020
• Accepted 23 June 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.102.011101

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Published by the American Physical Society