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Dr Mark Hadley
Parity Violation:
The Biggest Scientific Blunder of the 20th Century?
Mark Hadley
Is Nature Symmetrical?We thought so until 1956 !!
A Major change in our view of space and time
1. Round Earth
2. Heliocentric view of Universe
3. Special Relativity (time is not absolute)
4. General relativity (spacetime is curved)
5. Big bang – Universe finite in space and time
6. Expanding Universe (time asymmetry)
Mark Hadley
Plan• Parity violation – the conventional view
• My interest
• Review of Parity conservation– Mechanics– Electromagnetism– Weak Interactions
• An alternative view– Parity is Conserved !!
Mark Hadley
Space Inversion
:
x x
y yP
z z
t t
t t
x -x
v = x -v
a = x -a
ω = r× v ω
Inversion = reflection + 180° rotation
Axial or Pseudo vector
Mark Hadley
Effect of Parity - momentum
Before After
The Parity Operator gives the transformation due an inversion of the spatial coordinates
Mark Hadley
Effect of Parity - spin
Before After
Mark Hadley
Physical Review October 1956 p254-258
Tsung Dao Lee Chen Ning Yang
Parity violation in the weak interactions
Start with a symmetrical
state
60Co
Look for an asymmetric
outcomee-
60Ni + e- +υe
I(θ)dθ = k (1 + αcosθ )sinθdθ
θ
Mark Hadley
Experimentalists
Wu Ambler Hayward Hoppes Hudson
National Bureau of Standards USA 1956
actual result
I(θ)dθ = k (1 –v/c cosθ )sinθdθ
Mark Hadley
Nobel prize winners 1957
Tsung Dao Lee Chen Ning Yang
Parity violation in the weak interactions
Mark Hadley
But not quite so simple…….
Is the initial state symmetrical?
“We see from this analysis that the logical path from the observed asymmetry to the inferred nonconservation of parity in β decay is considerably more complex than the popular presentations would indicate.”
L. E. Ballentine:
Mark Hadley
A gravitational explanation for quantum theory
• Aims to explain– QM– Particle spectrum– Fundamental interactions
• Predictions– No graviton (Gravity waves are just classical waves)
– Spin-half
–Parity is conserved
Mark Hadley
Parity is violated - FACT
All the books say so. The Nobel Prize Committee say so.
Doh !
Mark Hadley
Explanations using GR
• Boundary Conditions
• Common source
Doh !!Doh!!
Mark Hadley
Where have they gone wrong?
• Exactly what has been observed?
• Exactly what has been violated?
• What, exactly, is the definition of Parity?
Mark Hadley
Parity in Newtonian Mechanics
F = ma
E = ½m v2
F = m(-a)
-F = m (-a)
-F = (-m)(-a)
F = (-m)(-a)
(± )E = ½(± m) v2
Before AfterParity conserved
Mark Hadley
P operator is chosen:
1) For simplicity
2) To conserve parity
3) Supported by:
Special Relativity: (t-component of the energy momentum 4-vector)
General Relativity:
Parity in Newtonian Mechanics
jkkjjkk dSggc
m216
1
2mcE
Magnetic field pointing oute-
e-
e-
e-e- e-
Parity in electromagnetism
Start with a symmetrical state……
Mark Hadley
Parity in Electromagnetism
F = q(E + v x B)
Note:
-F = q(-E + -v x (-B))
-F = q(-E + -v x B)
-F = -q(E + -v x B)
-F = -q(E + -v x (-B))
Before AfterParity conserved
ˆq dSE.n
Parity on magnetic poles
dSQm nB. ˆ dSQm )ˆ( nB.
Magnetic field pointing oute-
e-
e-e- e-
Parity in electromagnetism
Magnetic field pointing ine-
e-
e-
e-
e-
Mark Hadley
Duality Transforamtion• The roles of E and B can be
reversed by a duality transformation:
cossin
sincos
BEB'
BEE'
Parity in Electromagnetism
0
0
0
0
x y z
x z y
y z x
z y x
E E E
E B B
E B B
E B B
F
In this order
4
0c
dF J
d*F
P operator is chosen:
1) To conserve parity
2) For simplicity
3) Supported by the covariant formulation:
Mark Hadley
Effect of ParityThe Parity Operator gives the transformation due an inversion of the spatial coordinates.
We do not have a free choice of P operator.
What are the transformations in beta decay?
Mark Hadley
“We see from this analysis that the logical path from the observed asymmetry to the inferred nonconservation of parity in β decay is considerably more complex than the popular presentations would indicate.”
L. E. Ballentine:
The assumption that the Cobalt nucleous is symmetrical is not only non-trivial -
it may well be wrong !
What is the mirror image of a Cobalt atom?
60Coe-
(not to scale)
e-
60Co
e+
Anti 60Co
Mark Hadley
Parity• Reverses
– Momentum– Lepton number etc.– Charge
• Unchanged– Spin
Is conserved
Mark Hadley
Conclusions
• Space Inversion is a symmetry of Nature
• Parity is conserved
• The conventional P operator is not conserved.
Mark Hadley
Just a change of convention?
• The conventional P operator may be combined with another transformation of degenerate multiplets. (eg particle anti-particle, neutrino flavours)
• Impacts on unifying theories.
“Not merely a matter of convention: on other particles P could have the usual effect.”
Weinberg
Mark Hadley
Parity violation
How could they get it so wrong?
Mark Hadley
How could they get it so wrong?• The Parity operation was defined before the
experiments were done.– Particles were defined as eigenstates of Parity. – Simplicity of the operator took precendence over
conservation - even though QFT required particles and antiparticles to be combined in the same equations.
• There was no higher theory to appeal to.
Watch this space!
Mark Hadley
Parity isConserved
Mark Hadley
,p , p
,k ,k Parity
Lorentz Boost
Eigenvectors of P, H,J3 with eigenvalues 0,M,σ
Mark Hadley
CP violation
• Boundary conditions– Matter dominated Universe
• T asymmetry (CPT theorem)– Expanding Universe
• Parity = CP for some particles only!
• More complicated effects of P on other degeneracies.