Suppose, contrary to what was actually found, the 1957 cobalt-60 measurement had…
PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Quantum Mechanics · Particle Physics & Quantum Fields · Symmetry, groups and the quark model
Particle Physics, Ch Parity, charge conjugation, time reversal and CPT
Problem
Suppose, contrary to what was actually found, the 1957 cobalt-60 measurement had given a null result: the counting rate of electrons along the spin direction had equalled the rate against the spin direction, at every temperature, with the field either way.
((a)) Translate this hypothetical outcome into a statement about the sign and size of ⟨S⋅p⟩ averaged over the decays.
((b)) State whether this null result would have been consistent with the assumption, standard before 1956, that parity is conserved by every interaction, and explain why.
((c)) Explain what conclusion about the weak interaction would then not have been drawn, contrasting with what the real, non-null result did establish.