Evaluation of the three-nucleon analyzing power puzzle

The current status of the three-nucleon analyzing power puzzle is reviewed. Applying tight constraints on the allowed deviations between calculated predictions and accepted values for relevant nucleon-nucleon observables reveals that energy independent correction factors applied to the P-3(j) nucleon-nucleon interactions can not solve the puzzle. Furthermore, using the same constraints, charge-independence breaking in the P-3(j) nucleon-nucleon interactions can be ruled out as a possible tool to improve the agreement between three-nucleon calculations and data. The study of the energy dependence of the three-nucleon analyzing power puzzle gives clear evidence that the P-3(j) nucleon-nucleon interaction obtained from phase-shift analyses and used in potential models are correct above about 25 MeV, i.e., the P-3(j) nucleon-nucleon interactions have to be modified only at lower energies in order to solve the three-nucleon analyzing power puzzle, unless new three-nucleon forces can be found that account for the three-nucleon analyzing power puzzle without destroying the beautiful agreement between rigorous three-nucleon calculations and a large body of accurate three-nucleon data. (C) 1998 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.