Parity Nonconserving Internucleon Potentials

Abstract

The general form that a parity nonconserving internucleon potential must take because of invariance requirements is obtained. A detailed calculation is then made of the parity nonconserving potential arising from a self-interacting current description of weak interactions. If the polar vector part of the current (${J_{\mu }}^V$) is conserved, then parity nonconservation of the order 1 part in ${10}^7\left(\mathcal{F}\approx {10}^{-7\mathrm{}}\right)$ is to be expected in nuclear processes. Failure to observe such an effect would indicate either that ${J_{\mu }}^V$ is not conserved or that the self-interacting current description is incorrect.