Theoretical investigation of parity violation in pα scattering

Calculations are presented of the parity-non-conserving (PNC) analyzing power A_z for longitudinally polarized incoming protons in elastic $\text{p}\text{α}$ scattering below ～50 MeV. The results are given in terms of the PNC as well as the regular, parity-conserving (PC) meson-nucleon coupling constants for single π-, ρ- and ω-exchange. The reliability and parameter dependence of the calculations are discussed in detail. The PC on-shell scattering parameters play an important role in particular for the angular dependence of A_z, which must be known for the actual analysis of measurements and are taken from experiments directly (phase analysis) rather than model calculations. The PNC scattering amplitudes are calculated in DWBA with optical-model wave functions properly antisymmetrized. Short-range correlations between nucleon pairs are taken into account by a Jastrow factor whose appropriate choice is discussed in detail. While absorption from the elastic channel is taken into account by the optical-model wave function, intermediate breakup channels are not included explicitly in the matrix elements.