The scaling of nuclear-spin-dependent parity-violating effects with increasing nuclear charge $Z$ is discussed in two series of isoelectronic open-shell diatomic molecules. The parameter $W_{\mathrm{a}}$ characterizing the strength of parity violation in diatomic molecules is calculated in the framework of the zeroth-order regular approximation and found to be in good agreement with the $R\left(Z\right)Z^k$ scaling law derived for atoms, in which $R\left(Z\right)$ represents a relativistic enhancement factor. The influence of electron correlation is studied on the molecular level, with spin-polarization effects being conveniently accounted for by a previously established approximate relation between the hyperfine coupling tensor and $W_{\mathrm{a}}$. For high-accuracy predictions of parity-violating effects in radium fluoride, the necessity for systematically improvable correlation calculations is emphasized.

• Received 14 August 2012

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.86.062515