The Eightfold Way: A theory of strong interaction symmetry

A new model of the higher symmetry of elementary particles is introduced ln which the eight known baryons are treated as a supermultiplet, degenerate in the limit of unitary symmetry but split into isotopic spin multiplets by a symmetry-breaking term. The symmetry violation is sscribed phenomenologically to the mass differences. The baryons correspond to an eight-dimensional irreducible representation of the unitary group. The pion and K meson fit into a similar set of eight particles along with a predicted pseudoscalar meson X/sup o/ having I = 0. A ninth vector meson coupled to the baryon current can be accomodated natarally in the scheme. It is predicted that the eight baryons should all have the same spin and parity and that pseudoscalar and vector mesons should form octets with possible additional singlets. The mathematics of the unitary group is described by considering three fictitious leptons, nu , e/sup -/ , and mu /sup -/, which may throw light on the structure of weak interactions. (D. L.C.