Hadronic parity violation

The history and phenomenology of hadronic parity nonconservation (PNC) is reviewed. We discuss the current status of the experimental tests and theory. We describe a reanalysis of the asymmetry for p → + p that, when combined with other experimental constraints and with a recent lattice QCD calculation of the weak pion–nucleon coupling h π 1 , reveals a much more consistent pattern of PNC couplings. In particular, isoscalar coupling strengths are similar to but somewhat larger than the “best value” estimate of Donoghue, Desplanques, and Holstein, while both lattice QCD and experiment indicate a suppressed h π 1 . We discuss the relationship between meson-exchange models of hadronic PNC and formulations based on effective theory, stressing their general compatibility as well as the challenge presented to theory by experiment, as several of the most precise measurements involve significant momentum scales. Future directions are proposed.