Power Counting For and Symmetries of the Effective Field Theory For NN Interactions

Abstract

The appropriate power counting for the effective field theory of NN interactions is reviewed. It is more subtle than in most effective field theories since in the limit that the S-wave NN scattering lengths go to infinity it is governed by a nontrivial fixed point. The leading two body terms in the effective field theory for nucleon self interactions are scale invariant and invariant under Wigner SU(4) spin-isospin symmetry in this limit. Higher body terms with no derivatives (i.e., three and four body terms) are automatically invariant under Wigner symmetry.