Hyperon beta-decay and axial charges of the lambda in view of strongly distorted baryon wave-functions

Within the collective coordinate approach to chiral soliton models we sugge st that breaking of SU(3) flavor symmetry mainly resides in the baryon wave -functions while the charge operators maintain a symmetric structure. Sizab le symmetry breaking in the wave-functions is required to reproduce the obs erved spacing in the spectrum of the (1)/(+)(2) baryons. The matrix element s of the flavor symmetric charge operators nevertheless yield g(A)/g(V) rat ios for hyperon beta-decay which agree with the empirical data approximatel y as well as the successful F&D parameterization of the Cabibbo scheme. Dem anding the strangeness component in the nucleon to vanish in the two flavor limit of the model, determines the structure of the singlet axial charge o perator and yields the various quark flavor components of the axial charge of the Lambda -hyperon. The suggested picture gains support from calculatio ns in a realistic model using pion and vector meson degrees of freedom to b uild up the soliton. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.