# A symmetry for heavy nuclei: Proxy-SU(3)

## TL;DR

This paper introduces the proxy-SU(3) approximation, a new fermionic method that restores SU(3) symmetry in heavy nuclei, complementing existing bosonic and pseudo-SU(3) approaches.

## Contribution

The paper presents the novel proxy-SU(3) approximation for heavy nuclei, expanding the tools for symmetry-based nuclear structure modeling.

## Key findings

- Proxy-SU(3) restores SU(3) symmetry in heavy nuclei.
- Comparison with pseudo-SU(3) highlights similarities and differences.
- Potential applications in nuclear structure calculations.

## Abstract

The SU(3) symmetry realized by J. P. Elliott in the sd nuclear shell is destroyed in heavier shells by the strong spin-orbit interaction. However, the SU(3) symmetry has been used for the description of heavy nuclei in terms of bosons in the framework of the Interacting Boson Approximation, as well as in terms of fermions using the pseudo-SU(3) approximation. We introduce a new fermionic approximation, called the proxy-SU(3), and we comment on its similarities and differences with the other approaches.