Through the introduction of a class of appropriate translationally invariant trial wave functions, we show that the strong correlations in the lowest Landau level (LLL) reflect in finite systems the emergence of intrinsic point-group symmetries associated with rotations and vibrations of molecules formed through particle localization. This quantal molecular description is universal, being valid for both bosons and fermions, for both the yrast and excited states of the LLL spectra, and for both

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... ow and high angular momenta. "Quantum-fluid" physical pictures associated with Jastrow-type trial functions are shown to be reducible to the molecular description introduced in this paper.