Qualitative analysis of the right - left scattering asymmetry in low-energy collisions

The experimental results on the right - left scattering asymmetry of helicopter-polarized atoms, either in state or colliding with Ar, are presented and qualitatively interpreted in the framework of the sudden-locking model. It is shown that this model provides a simple description of key features of the cross section difference and the relation between it and the total cross section for scattering of unpolarized atoms.