New procedure for evaluation of U(3) coupling and recoupling coefficients

Abstract

AbstractA simple method to calculate Wigner coupling coefficients and Racah recoupling coefficients for U(3) in two group–subgroup chains is presented. While the canonical $$\rm U(3)\supset U(2)\supset U(1)$$ U ( 3 ) ⊃ U ( 2 ) ⊃ U ( 1 ) coupling and recoupling coefficients are applicable to any system that respects U(3) symmetry, the $$\rm U(3) \supset SO(3)$$ U ( 3 ) ⊃ SO ( 3 ) coupling coefficients are more specific to nuclear structure studies. This new procedure precludes the use of binomial coefficients and alternating sums which were used in the 1973 formulation of Draayer and Akiyama, and in so doing provides a faster and more accurate determination of any and all required results. The resolution of the outer multiplicity is based on the null space concept of the U(3) generators proposed by Alex et al., whereas the inner multiplicity in the angular momentum subgroup chain is obtained from the dimension of the null space of the SO(3) raising operator. It is anticipated that a C++ library will ultimately be available for determining generic coupling and recoupling coefficients associated with both the canonical and the physical group–subgroup chains of U(3).