Fermion masses and mixing angles from SU(3) family symmetry

We propose a model based on SU(3) farttily symmetry which leads to a successful description of quark and lepton masses and mixing angles including approximate bi-maximal mixing in the neutrino sector suitable for the LOW or quasi-vacuum solar solutions, with the atmospheric angle predicted to be accurately maximal due to the SU(3) symmetry. The model predicts a CHOOZ angle theta (13) similar to \V-ub\. The SU(3) symmetry can also ensure the near degeneracy of squarks and sleptons needed to avoid large flavour changing neutral currents. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.