2014/01/20 by P. Van Isacker, Van Isacker, P.
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Crystallography and molecular interactions #Molecular spectroscopy and chirality #Quantum chaos and dynamical systems #nucl-th
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1401.4881
5 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in Nuclear Physics News
arxiv created 2014/03/03 · arxiv updated 2014/03/04
One of the interesting aspects in the study of atomic nuclei is the strikingly regular behaviour many display in spite of being complex quantum-mechanical systems, prompting the universal question of how regularity emerges out of complexity. It is often conjectured that symmetries play a pivotal role in our understanding of this emerging simplicity. But most symmetries are likely to be broken, partial or both. Under such more realistic conditions, does the concept of symmetry still provide a basis for our understanding of regularity? I suggest that this requires the enlarged concepts of partial and quasi dynamical symmetry.