This proceedings volume discusses recent developments in the physics of strongly interacting systems, with emphasis on matter under extreme conditions that are possibly encountered in astrophysical phenomena and relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

This proceedings volume discusses recent developments in the physics of strongly interacting systems, with emphasis on matter under extreme conditions that are possibly encountered in astrophysical phenomena and relativistic heavy-ion collisions.

Chiral symmetry, a basic symmetry of the strong interaction and thus of QCD, plays a major role in low energy hadron physics. This workshop highlighted its importance for the understanding of hadron properties, hadron matter and recent precise lattice and experimental results. Besides, heavy quark physics was also addressed.

This book provides in a pedagogical way some up-to-date reviews of properties of strongly interacting matter produced at RHIC, analytical approaches to QCD, and nuclear and high-energy astrophysics. It also contains schematic outlines of topics on high-precision non-perturbative QCD, first results from RHIC, and heavy-ion collisions at LHC with the ATLAS detector.The proceedings have been selected for coverage in: OCo Index to Scientific & Technical Proceedings (ISTP CDROM version / ISI Proceedings)"

Straddling the traditional disciplines of nuclear and particle physics, hadron physics is a vital and extremely active research area, as evidenced by a 2004 Nobel prize and new research facilities, such as that scheduled to open at CERN. Scientifically it is of vital importance in extrapolating our knowledge of quark-gluon physics at the sub-nucleon level to provide a wider perspective of strongly interacting hadrons, which make up the vast bulk of known matter in the Universe. Through detailed, pedagogical chapters contributed by key international experts, Hadron Physics maps out our contemporary knowledge of the subject. It covers both the theoretical and experimental aspects of hadron structure and properties along with a wide range of specific research topics, results, and applications. Providing a full picture of activity in the field, the book highlights three particular areas of current research: computational lattice hadron physics, the structure and dynamics of hadrons, and generalized parton distributions. It provides a solid introduction, includes background theory, and presents the current state of understanding of the subject.

This volume outlines the exciting new opportunities in hadron physics which have been created by the Japan Hadron Facility (JHF), a major joint initiative between High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) and Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI). The topics covered include unprecedented possibilities of studying strange matter, neutrino oscillations and hadron structure. The close interaction with lattice QCD is emphasised.