Detailed balance study of time reversal invariance with interfering resonances

Abstract

Bunakov and Weidenmüller suggested that large enhancement of time reversal invariance violation may be observed near two interfering resonances via a test of detailed balance. In our (p, α) resonance data on 23Na, 27Al, 31P, 35Cl, and 39K, there are 33 pairs of adjacent resonances which have the same spin and parity. The difference in the differential cross sections for the (p, α 0) and (α, p 0) reactions was calculated for these resonance pairs using experimental values for the partial widths. The collision matrix elements were obtained for a Hamiltonian H = H 0 + iH', following the approach of Moldauer. The differences show striking dependence on energy and angle and on the particular pair of resonances, with the relative sensitivity of the detailed balance test varying by many orders of magnitude. These preliminary results indicate that this class of experiments may be more sensitive than previous detailed balance tests.