Shell-model representations of the proton-neutron symplectic model

Abstract

The representation theory of the recently introduced proton-neutron symplectic model in the many-particle Hilbert space is considered. The relation of the Sp(12, R) irreducible representations (irreps) with the shell-model classification of the basis states is considered by extending of the state space to the direct product space of SU p (3) ⊗ SU n (3) irreps, generalizing in this way the Elliott’s SU(3) model for the case of two-component system. The Sp(12, R) model appears then as a natural multi-major-shell extension of the generalized proton-neutron SU(3) scheme, which takes into account the core collective excitations of monopole and quadrupole, as well as dipole type associated with the giant resonance vibrational degrees of freedom. Each Sp(12, R) irreducible representation is determined by a symplectic bandhead or an intrinsic U(6) space which can be fixed by the underlying proton-neutron shell-model structure, so the theory becomes completely compatible with the Pauli principle. It is shown that this intrinsic U(6) structure is of vital importance for the appearance of the low-lying collective bands without involving a mixing of different symplectic irreps. The full range of low-lying collective states can then be described by the microscopically based intrinsic U(6) structure, renormalized by coupling to the giant resonance vibrations.