Theoretical survey of B-decay and U-decay

Abstract

As Professor Peierls has explained, a breakdown of parity conservation in weak decay processes is demonstrated if the observed properties of the initial and final systems can be used to define a screw sense, and if the rates of decay associated with the two possible screw senses are different. The successful demonstration of such an effect, as in the Wu, Ambler, Hayward, Hoppes & Hudson (1957) experiment, caused some consternation among theorists, though I hope to show that things are not nearly so bad as depicted by Thurber (1944)! The aim of this talk is to give a theoretical framework to serve as a background for the experimental talks. I will not try to be very wise in interpreting everything in some way which will probably prove wrong tomorrow.