Neutrino production of vector and axial-vector mesons at high energies

A phenomenological study is made of the reactions $\nu N\to {\mu }^{-}{V}^{+}\left(A^{+}\right)N$ and $\nu N\to \nu V^0\left(A^0\right)N$ (and similar reactions induced by antineutrinos) at high energies. Particular attention is paid to a detailed kinematical analysis. The differential cross section contains nine independently measurable terms, each showing a different dependence on $\Phi$ and $\epsilon$; four of these terms are vector-axial-vector interferences. An analogous separation holds for the spin density matrix elements of the decaying vector or axial-vector meson. Consequences resulting from $s$-channel helicity conservation and other properties of a diffraction mechanism have been worked out for the cross sections and the density matrix elements. Once the diffraction mechanism is known vector- and axial-vector-meson production can provide useful information about the structure of the weak neutral current. Problems of model calculations are discussed.