On the Relativistic Foundations of Pseudospin Symmetry in Nuclei

We show that the generators of pseudospin symmetry are the non - relativistic limit of the generators of an SU(2) symmetry which leaves invariant the Dirac Hamiltonian with scalar and vector potentials equal in magnitude but opposite in sign, $V_V = - V_S$. Furthermore, within this framework, we demonstrate that this symmetry may be approximately conserved for realistic scalar and vector potentials.