Weak effects in high transverse-momentum hadron--hadron collisions

Parton model calculations are presented for the size of weak, parity-violating effects which may be expected in the inclusive production of hadrons at high transverse momentum. It is shown that, within the context of quark-parton models, a significant enhancement of weak effects above the levels expected at small momentum transfers is predicted. A model of strong quark-quark scattering is developed and is interfered with proposed models of the hadronic weak interaction to predict asymmetries in pion production and longitudinal polarizations of lambdas in high transverse momentum proton-proton collisions. The sensitivity of weak effects to the assumed model of the strong and weak interaction is explored. It is suggested that the measurement of these effects can be of use in determining the correct form of the quark-quark scattering amplitudes, and in determining the distribution of partons in the proton