Weak $\Lam N\to NN$ Transition in the Direct Quark Mechanism

Abstract

The weak $\Lam N\to NN$ transition is studied in the valence quark model approach. The momentum transfer for this transition is so large that the short-distance two baryon dynamics must be taken into account. The two baryon system is described in the quark cluster model and the weak transition amplitude is calculated by evaluating the matrix elements of the effective weak $\Delta S= 1$ hamiltonian. The results indicate some qualitative differences when compared with those in conventional meson-exchange calculations. Especially, we conclude that contributions of the $\Delta I={3\over2}$ transition are significant and that the discrepancy in the $n-p$ ratio between theory and experiment could be resolved by including the direct-quark processes.