Right-Handed Current Effects inΔS=1Semileptonic Decays

Abstract

Some problems encountered in describing the $\Delta S=1\mathrm{}$ semileptonic hyperon decays in terms of the Cabibbo model are considered, and these decays are studied in an $\mathrm{SU}{\mathrm{}\left(2\right)\mathrm{}}_L\otimes \mathrm{SU}{\mathrm{}\left(2\right)\mathrm{}}_R\otimes \mathrm{U}\mathrm{}\left(1\right)\mathrm{}$ gauge theory. It is found that a reported discrepancy between the Cabibbo model and experiment in $\Lambda \to \mathrm{pe}{\overline{\nu }}_e$ can be accounted for if right-handed currents exist. The only obstacle to this interpretation is the experimental sign of the electron asymmetry in $\Sigma \to \mathrm{ne}{\overline{\nu }}_e$ which, as in the Cabibbo model, is predicted to be negative.