Symmetry breaking and hyperon decays in the Skyrme model

We compute the vector and axial-vector-current matrix elements needed for the Cabibbo-theory description of the semileptonic hyperon decays using exact eigenstates of the SU(3) Skyrme-model collective Hamiltonian. In a qualitative sense we confirm that the symmetry-breaking corrections are relatively small for the Cabibbo matrix elements while there is a drastic reduction from the SU(3) limit of the matrix element |s̄γ_μγ₅s|proton> which figures prominently in analyses of the European Muon Collaboration "proton-spin" experiment.