A COMPLEX BASIS FOR THE 3-BODY SYSTEM - REALIZATION OF THE S-3 SYMMETRY

Some concrete possibilities of a complex basis for characterizing the quantum numbers of a 3-body system are examined in light of the observ ation that the S-3 symmetry is more explicitly obeyed by the complex, rather than the real, representation. This shows up through a more tra nsparent algebra of the underlying dynamical operators in their comple x, but not real, forms, thus allowing the identification of an extra q uantum number in this new basis. Possible physical applications of the new basis are briefly discussed at three distinct levels of composite ness, viz., nuclear, hadronic, and sub-hadronic, with respective const ituents N (nucleon), q (quark), and r (preon/rishon).