Odd-odd nuclei as the core-particle-hole systems and chirality

Odd-odd nuclei treated as core-particle-hole systems with various collective cores and various particle-hole configurations are investigated within the Core-Particle-Hole Coupling (CPHC) model. A new symmetry, called the S -symmetry, is identified as a combination of the α -parity of the collective core and the proton-neutron symmetry of the valence proton and neutron in particle-hole configurations involving single-particle states with the same quantum numbers. It is found that the S -symmetric odd-odd nuclei show signatures which are usually considered as fingerprints of nuclear chirality, namely doublet band structure with a particular pattern of electromagnetic transitions. Reported results imply that the rigid rotor with a symmetric valence proton-neutron configuration is only a special case of the system with the novel S -symmetry. Therefore, it is an open question whether the chiral fingerprints discussed so far identify uniquely the orthogonal coupling of angular momentum in the intrinsic system.