Relativistic symmetries in nuclei and hadrons

Relativistic symmetries of the Dirac Hamiltonian had been discovered many years ago but only recently have these symmetries been recognized empirically in nuclear and hadronic spectroscopy. The empirical data supporting spin symmetry in hadron spectroscopy and pseudospin symmetry in nuclear spectroscopy are reviewed. Realistic relativistic mean field calculations of nuclei and QCD sum rules are reviewed and shown to support approximate pseudospin symmetry. These revelations suggest a more fundamental rationale for pseudospin symmetry motivating an investigation for pseudospin conservation in the nucleon–nucleon interaction. Open questions regarding hadron spin symmetry and nuclear pseudospin symmetry are discussed.