The "Folk Theorem" on Effective Field Theory: A Case for Nuclear Physics

TL;DR

This paper highlights Gerry Brown's foundational role in developing nuclear effective field theory and explores how his ideas on hidden symmetries could lead to advancements beyond standard approaches.

Contribution

It uncovers Gerry Brown's early contributions to nuclear EFT and proposes future directions involving hidden local and scale symmetries in nuclear physics.

Findings

Gerry Brown significantly influenced the development of nuclear EFT.

Hidden local and scale symmetries may play a crucial role in future nuclear theories.

The paper suggests going beyond standard nuclear EFT using symmetry principles.

Abstract

Although largely unrecognized, Gerry Brown had played a seminal and prescient role for the development of the currently heralded "first-principles approach" to nuclear dynamics known as "nuclear effective field theory" ($n$EFT for short). I give a brief account in what way he entered -- together with his Korean colleagues -- at the earliest stage of its development and what he left behind for the future in paving the road to go {\it way beyond} the standard $n$EFT. I do this in the context of Gerry's original conceptual ideas conceived after the "dilepton fiasco" that indicate a surprising new role of hidden local and scale symmetries in nuclear physics.