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Parity violating weak neutral current effects in elastic e- sup 12 C scattering

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6964838· OSTI ID:6964838

Recently we completed a measurement of the Poutry nonconservation (PNC) asymmetry in elastic e{sup {minus}12}scattering at the Bates Electron Accelerator Center in which we achieved a precision at the level of approximately 10{sup {minus}7}, and improvement of a factor of five beyond that of the best previous experimental result. Moreover, the asymmetry we determined, A {equivalent to} ({sigma}{sub R} {minus} {sigma}{sub L})/({sigma}{sub R} + {sigma}{sub L}), where{equivalent to}{sub R}and{equivalent to}{sub L}represent the differential cross sections for the scattering of electrons with right and left helicity respectively, unlike the quantities determined in many other PNC experiments, suffers no anmbiguity in the theoretical interpretation of its meaning, a result which follows from the spinless, isoscalar nature of the {sup {minus}12}C nucleus. These properties permit the relevant nuclear physics in the elastic e{sub {minus}12}C interaction to be described by a single form factor, which cancels precisely in the asymmetry given. This paper discusses this work.

Research Organization:
City Coll., New York, NY (USA). Dept. of Physics
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE/ER
DOE Contract Number:
FG02-86ER40304
OSTI ID:
6964838
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/40304-6; ON: DE90011185
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English