Parity Violating Measurements of Neutron Densities and Nuclear Structure

Abstract

Parity violating electron nucleus scattering is a clean and powerful tool for measuring the spatial distributions of neutrons in nuclei with unprecedented accuracy. Parity violation arises from the interference of electromagnetic and weak neutral amplitudes, and the $Z^0$ of the Standard Model couples primarily to neutrons at low $Q^2$. Experiments are now feasible at existing facilities. We show that theoretical corrections are either small or well understood, which makes the interpretation clean. A neutron density measurement may have many implications for nuclear structure, atomic parity nonconservation experiments, and the structure of neutron stars.