In recent years, a new field of nuclear research has been opened through the possibility of studying nuclei wi\h very large values of angular momentum, temperature, pressure and number of particles. This development has been closely associated with heavy ion reactions, since collisions between two heavy nuclei are especially effective in producing metastable compound systems with large angular momentum, and in transferring energy which is distributed over the whole nuclear volume. Under the strain of temperature and of the Coriolis and centrifugal forces, the nucleus displays structural changes which can be interpreted in terms of pairing and shape phase transit ions. This was the subject of the lectures of J. D. Garrett, P. J. Twin and S. Levit. While the rotational motion is, at zero temperature un damped, the width of giant resonances indicate that the nucleus only oscillates through few periods before the motion is damp ed by particle decay, and through coupling to the compound nucleus. Temperature and angular momentum influence in an im portant way the properties of both giant resonances and rotatio nal motion. These subjects were developed by K. Snover, and by P. F. Bortignon and R. A. Broglia, as well as by A. Bracco, A. Dellafiore and F. Matera.

Modern nuclear physics is a well developed branch of physical science, with wide-ranging applications of its results in engineering and industry. At the same time, the development of a consistent theory of nuclei and nuclear processes presents certain problems. It is well known that the most important aim of nuclear physics is the study of nuclear structure and the explanation of properties on the basis of the interaction between nucleons which constitute nuclei. Difficulties of a modern theory of the nucleus are caused by both an insufficient knowledge of nuclear interactions and the multi particle character of nuclear systems. Experimental data on nuclear interactions do not contradict the hypothesis of the pair character of nuclear forces. However, the absence of rigorous meth ods of calculations of many particle nuclear systems with strong interaction makes it necessary to use macroscopic nuclear models to describe particular nuclear properties. Nuclear models have been developed in different ways, and the models themselves have been modified and complicated. In spite of the visible discrepancy, different models of the nucleus significantly supple ment one another. The development of nuclear models has led to considerable progress in the understanding of atomic nuclei. The current results of theo retical nuclear physics are reported in numerous scientific papers. The most important and relevant experimental and theoretical results can be found in many monographs, the best of which are written by well-known experts in the field.

This advanced textbook presents an extensive and diverse study of low-energy nuclear physics considering the nucleus as a quantum system of strongly interacting constituents. The contents guide students from the basic facts and ideas to more modern topics including important developments over the last 20 years, resulting in a comprehensive collection of major modern-day nuclear models otherwise unavailable in the current literature. The book emphasizes the common features of the nucleus and other many-body mesoscopic systems currently in the center of interest in physics. The authors have also included full problem sets that can be selected by lecturers and adjusted to specific interests for more advanced students, with many chapters containing links to freely available computer code. As a result, readers are equipped for scientific work in mesoscopic physics.