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Geometrical symmetries of nuclear systems: D(3h) and T(d) symmetries in light nuclei

The role of discrete (or point-group) symmetries in alpha-cluster nuclei is discussed in the framework of the algebraic cluster model which describes the relative motion of the alpha-particles. Particular attention is paid to the discrete symmetry of the geometric arrangement of the alpha-particles, and the consequences for the structure of the corresponding rotational bands. The method is applied to study cluster states in the nuclei 12C and 16O. The observed level sequences can be understood in a simple way as a consequence of the underlying discrete symmetry that characterizes the geometrical configuration of the alpha-particles, i.e. an equilateral triangle with D(3h) symmetry for 12C, and a tetrahedron with T(d) symmetry for 16O. The structure of rotational bands provides a fingerprint of the underlying geometrical configuration of alpha-particles.