Covariant approach to allowed beta decay

Abstract

We propose a Lorentz-covariant on-shell formalism for allowed nuclear beta decay. Nuclear matrix elements are organized in a systematic effective field theory expansion in the recoil momentum, with the dependence on nuclear spin and polarization encoded in little-group-covariant structures. In this language, we construct the most general standard and exotic currents for allowed transitions through first recoil order. We then derive the differential decay distribution encoded in a set of Lorentz-invariant form factors. Specializing to the rest frame of the parent nucleus, we relate our parameters to those used in the traditional beta-decay literature and in nucleon- and quark-level effective field theories. The formalism provides a natural framework for extensions to higher recoil orders, radiative corrections, and forbidden transitions.

Comments: 29 pages, 1 figure