The Development of Particle Physics

Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev

D36a, Tel.: 0114 2224531
v.kudryavtsev@sheffield.ac.uk
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Parity violation
tu - puzzle; is the parity conserved?
Experiment by Wu et al. with
60
Co beta decay (1956).
Experimental set-up
Measurements
Results and outcomes
Parity violation in t
+

+
e
+
- decay (1956).
Detector and pion/muon beam
Results
Conclusions.

Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
t

-u

puzzle
Parity - a quantum number describing the
symmetry of the mirror reflection. The parity
operation reverses the sign of the spatial
coordinates of the wavefunction:
P (r,t)= (-r,t). Parity is even if P =+ ,
parity is odd if P = - . For a state with
orbital angular momentum l the parity is (-1)
l
.
u
+
decays into t
+
t
0
and has a parity (-1)
J
if
its spin is J: i.e. J
P
=0
+
or 1
-
or 2
+
...
t
+
has J
P
=0
-
or 2
-
or ... according to Dalitz
analysis of t

t
+
t
+
t
-

- decay.
However their masses and lifetimes were known to be similar. Are they the same particle?
If yes, the parity is not conserved in weak interactions and decays. This means that the weak
force behaves differently in left-handed and right-handed coordinate systems: it can
distinguish left from right, image from mirror image.
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Test of parity conservation
Lee and Yang analysed all available data and demonstrated that there is no
evidence for or against parity conservation in weak interactions (unlike strong
and electromagnetic interactions).
Test: to observe a dependence of a decay rate (or cross section) on a term that
changes sign under the parity operation. If decay rate or cross section changes
under parity operation, then the parity is not conserved.
Parity reverses momenta and positions but not angular momenta (or spins). Spin
is an axial vector and does not change sign under parity operation.
neutron
P
e

P
e
u
180
o
u
Beta decay of neutron in a real and
mirror worlds:
If parity is conserved, then the probability
of electron emission at u is equal to that
at 180
o
-u.
Selected orientation of neutron spins -
polarisation.
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Wus experiment
Beta-decay of
60
Co to
60
Ni
*
. The excited
60
Ni
*

decays to the ground state through two successive
emissions with energies 1.173 and 1.332 MeV.
National Bureau of Standards (Ambler et al.) -
nuclear polarisation through spin alignment in a
large magnetic field at 0.01
o
K. At low temperature
thermal motion does not destroy the alignment.
Polarisation was transferred from
60
Co to
60
Ni
nuclei. Degree of polarisation was measured
through the anisotropy of gamma-rays.
Beta particles from
60
Co decay were detected by a
thin anthracene crystal (scintillator) placed above
the
60
Co source. Scintillations were transmitted to
the photomultiplier tube (PMT) on top of the
cryostat.
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Wus experiment
Photons were detected by two NaI crystals
(scintillators). Difference in the counting
rate ( anisotropy) showed the degree of
polarisation.
The time of experiment - several minutes
(before the set up warmed up and the
polarisation disappeared).
Polarising magnetic field was applied in
both directions (up and down).

Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Wus results
Graphs: top and middle - gamma anisotropy
(difference in counting rate between two NaI
crystals) - control of polarisation; bottom - |
asymmetry - counting rate in the anthracene
crystal relative to the rate without polarisation
(after the set up was warmed up) for two
orientations of magnetic field.
Similar behaviour of gamma anisotropy and beta
asymmetry.
Rate was different for the two magnetic field
orientations.
Asymmetry disappeared when the crystal was
warmed up (the magnetic field was still present):
connection of beta asymmetry with spin
orientation (not with magnetic field).
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Parity violation in beta decay
Conclusion: clear indication of parity violation.
Angular distribution of electron intensity:


where o=-1 for electrons and +1 for positrons. P - polarisation.
Two terms: the first term (unity) is scalar (even parity, does not change
sign under reflection), J is an axial vector and does not change the sign
either, P
e
is the polar vector and change sign. So, the product J s P
e

changes sign and is pseudoscalar (odd parity). The presence of both
terms implies a parity mixture.
Solution to the tu - puzzle: they are the same particle K
+
, but parity is
not conserved in weak decays and K
+
decays in several different modes.

I(u) =1+ o
J - P
e
E
e
=1+o
v
c
cosu

P = o
v
c
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Outcomes
Previous result applied to neutrino (assuming m=0),
implies that it should be fully polarised, P=-1 for
neutrino and P=+1 for antineutrino, so it is in a pure
helicity state P+H=1.
Consider t
+

+
e
+
decay. Since neutrinos are left-
handed P+H=1, muons should be also polarised
(negative helicity on average, see figure for the pion
decay in the pion rest frame) with polarisation P=-v/c
(muons are non-relativistic, so both helicity states are
allowed).
If muons conserve polarisation when they come to rest,
the electrons from muon decay should also be
polarised (see figure for muon decay at rest in the
muon rest frame) and have an angular dependence:
v
+

t
+
J
v

J

t
+

+
+ v

e
+

v

+
J
e

J
v
v
J
v

J

+
e
+
+ v
e
+ v


I(u) =1
o
3
cosu
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Parity violation in t
+

+
e
+
decay
Experiment by Garwin, Lederman, Weinrich
aimed to confirm parity violation through the
measurements of I(u) for positrons.
85 MeV pion beam (t
+
) from cyclotron.
10% of muons in the beam: need to be
separated from pions.
Pions were stopped in the carbon absorber
(20 cm thick)
Counters 1-2 were used to separate muons
Muons were stopped in the carbon target
below counter 2.
The arangement is optimised to have
maximum number of muons stopped in the
carbon target.
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Parity violation in t
+

+
e
+
decay
Positrons from muon decay were detected
by a telescope 3-4, which required particles
of range >8 g/cm
2
(25 MeV positrons).
Events: concidence between counters 1-2
(muon) plus coincidence between counters
3-4 (positron) delayed by 0.75-2.0 s.
Goal: to measure I(u) for positrons.
Conventional way: move detecting system
(telescope 3-4) around carbon target
measuring intensities at various u. But very
complicated.
More sophisticated method: precession of
muon spin in magnetic field. Vertical
magnetic field in a shielded box around the
target.
The intensity distribution in angle was
carried around with the muon spin.
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Results of the experiment by Garwin et al.
Changing the field (the magnetising
current), they could change the rate
(frequency) of the spin precession,
which will be reflected in the
angular distribution of the emitted
positrons.
Garwin et al. plotted the positron
rate as a function of magnetising
current (magnetic field) and
compared it to the expected
distribution:


The agreement proved the initial
assumption about parity violation.

I(u) =1
o
3
cosu
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Other results and systematic tests
If CP (charge-parity) is conserved, then the violation of parity results in the violation
of the invariance under charge conjugation.
The rate of precession is a function of the ratio of magnetic moment to spin. This
ratio was measured as 2.00.1.
Reduction of the thickness of carbon shield - pions were stopped in the target,
muons were emitted isotropically by pions at rest, no variation in counting rate with
magnetising current.
Shifting telescope 3-4 to 65
o
with respect to the incident muon direction (initial
angle was 100
o
) - similar curve but shifted to the right by a value corresponding to a
precession angle of 37
o
, in agreement with the spatial rotation of the counter system.
The results were confirmed by Friedman and Telegdi, who measured positron
asymmetry from t
+

+
e
+
decay in nuclear emulsions.

Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
Conclusions
Parity is not conserved in weak interactions.
Invariance under charge conjugation is violated.
CP was still considered to be a good symmetry.
Neutrinos were found to be left-handed (negative helicity H=-1),
while antineutrinos were right-handed (H=+1). This was confirmed
in an experiment by Goldhaber et al. with electron capture reaction:
e
-
+
152
Eu
152
Sm
*
+ v.
Substantial progress in the theory of weak interactions: V-A theory
(more in a few weeks).
Dr. Vitaly Kudryavtsev The Development of Particle Physics
Lecture 6
References
C. S. Wu et al. "Experimental test of parity conservation in beta
decay", Phys. Rev.,105 (1957) 1413.
R. L. Garwin et al. "Observation of the failure of conservation of
parity and charge conjugation in meson decays: the magnetic moment
of the free muon", Phys. Rev.,105 (1957) 1415.
J. I. Friedman and V. L. Telegdi. "Nuclear emulsion evidence for
parity non-conservation in the decay chain t
+

+
e
+
", Phys.
Rev.,106 (1957) 1290.