Cluster configurations and their symmetries

We argue that certain unusual features found in low-energy C-12+Mg-24 elast ic scattering can be interpreted as the indirect manifestation of an SU(3) dynamic symmetry in the structure of the target nucleus. We show that in th e semimicroscopic algebraic cluster model the somewhat exotic C-12+C-12 con figuration can be assigned to the ground state of Mg-24. We discuss the ext ension of this model to multicluster configurations in which C-12 clusteriz ation is also present, and suggest that multicluster systems supply further examples for the realization of symmetries.