Study of the charge dependence of the pion–nucleon coupling constant on the basis of data on low-energy nucleon–nucleon interactions

Abstract

The relation between quantities that characterize the pion–nucleon and nucleon–nucleon interactions is studied with allowance for the fact that, at low energies, nuclear forces in nucleon–nucleon systems are mediated predominantly by one-pion exchange. On the basis of the values currently recommended for the low-energy parameters of the proton–proton interaction, the charged pion–nucleon coupling constant is evaluated at g_π²±/4π = 14.55(13). This value is in perfect agreement with the experimental value of g_π²±/4π = 14.52(26) found by the Uppsala Neutron Research Group. At the same time, the value obtained for the charged pion–nucleon coupling constant differs sizably from the value of the pion–nucleon coupling constant for neutral pions, which is g_π² 0/4π = 13.55(13). This is indicative of a substantial charge dependence of the coupling constant.