Detection of intermediate vector bosons and high-energy weak interactions from decay of hadron resonances

Abstract

We discuss the detection of parity violating effects in the production of hadron resonances as a way to identify weak interactions at high energies. Numerical results indicate that such effects due to the production of W's and Z's should be observable at Isabelle energies. Observation of such effects may be the best method to establish that high-mass resonances or new behavior of cross sections are not hadronic in origin. By observing hadron resonances with different quantum numbers, it is possible to study the flavor dependence of high-energy weak effects; the energy dependence of the ~0[*r ratio may even be a useful signal of W production. We also calculate predictions for polarized beams. The possibility of observing unconventional kinds of weak interactions is briefly considered. In this paper we want to discuss how weak interactions can be studied at high energies. We will concentrate on productions of W's and Z's but also include some discussion of the possibility of seeing unconventional effects. The usual methods [1-3] involve the production of W's and Z's and their decays into leptons or hadron jets. In particular, the charge asymmetry in pp -~/l+/a - + X, or the frontback asymmetry in p~ ~/a -+ + X would signal a weak-interaction effect [3]. These may well be the best methods, particularly to detect a Z ° by its g+/.t- decay, and they have been studied in some detail. The method we want to emphasize here is the detection of weak effects v/a the parity-violating production of hadron resonances. One can see very simply that such effects may occur. For example, a W decay into q?:l will give a left-handed q in a V- A theory. When making a meson resonance by picking up a ?:1 from the vacuum it will form (say) p's only of helicity 0 and -1 ,'while the strong interactions give equal amounts of helicity 1 and -1. Thus, appropriate comparison of the amounts of helicity 1 and -1 p's can signal a