Dispersion theory of parity non-conservation in pion-nucleon scattering at low energies

We examine the possibility for testing the weak parity non-conserving (pnc) interaction in pion-nucleon scattering at low energies. We start out analysis by assuming the existence of a pnc πNN coupling which conserves time reversal invariance and has the isospin selection rule ΔI = 1, and the existence of fixed-t dispersion relations obeyed by the pnc invariant amplitudes. By using the nonrelativistic expansion, we then derive dispersion relations for the partial-wave amplitudes.We calculate parity-odd observables in π^?p → π^?p and in π^?p → π⁰n, e.g., the up-down asymmetry α in the total cross section for a polarized target and the longitudinal polarization P of the recoil nucleon. In the conventional Cabibbo model for the weak interaction P and α are found to be of order 10^?7 to 10^?8.We have also examined the t-channel pnc ?-exchange process which has the isospin selection rule ΔI = 0, 2 and found it to contribute dominantly to P in the charge-exchange channel π^?p → π⁰n.