Summarizes the state of the art in this area of research.

This book provides an update on our understanding of strong interaction, with theoretical and experimental highlights included. It is divided into five sections. The first section is devoted to the investigations into and the latest results on the mechanism of quark confinement. The second and third sections focus respectively on light and heavy quarks (effective field theories, Schwinger-Dyson approach and lattice QCD results). The fourth section deals with the deconfinement mechanism and quark-gluon plasma formation signals. The last section presents highlights of experiments, new physics beyond QCD, and nonperturbative approaches in other theories (strings and SUSY) that may be useful in QCD.

This book provides an update on our understanding of strong interaction, with theoretical and experimental highlights included. It is divided into five sections. The first section is devoted to the investigations into and the latest results on the mechanism of quark confinement. The second and third sections focus respectively on light and heavy quarks (effective field theories, Schwinger-Dyson approach and lattice QCD results). The fourth section deals with the deconfinement mechanism and quark-gluon plasma formation signals. The last section presents highlights of experiments, new physics beyond QCD, and nonperturbative approaches in other theories (strings and SUSY) that may be useful in QCD.

Quantum chromodynamics is generally accepted to be the quantum field theory which describes the strong interactions in elementary particle physics. However, the question of the mechanism responsible for the “confinement” of the color degrees of freedom of quarks and gluons into hadrons still ranks as one of the most interesting open problems in physics.This proceedings volume summarizes the state of the art in this area of research. Mathematically inclined readers will find the articles based on monopoles, vortices, and topology most interesting. Meanwhile, lattice calculations can be performed for many important physical quantities. Their results can be used as guidelines for developing models of quark confinement. These models are indispensable for theoretical physicists performing calculations with the Bethe-Salpeter equation, Dyson-Schwinger equations, effective Hamiltonians, and potential models. The cross-fertilization of all these subfields of research becomes evident from the articles in this book. A few experimental papers are also included.

A comprehensive and up-to-date overview of soft and hard diffraction processes in strong interaction physics. The first part covers soft hadron—hadron scattering in a complete and mature presentation. It can be used as a textbook in particle physics classes. Chapters 8-11 address graduate students as well as researchers, covering the "new diffraction": the pomeron in QCD, low-x physics, diffractive deep inelastic scattering and related processes.

This book reviews the present state of knowledge of the anomalous magnetic moment a=(g-2)/2 of the muon. The muon anomalous magnetic moment is one of the most precisely measured quantities in elementary particle physics and provides one of the most stringent tests of relativistic quantum field theory as a fundamental theoretical framework. It allows for an extremely precise check of the standard model of elementary particles and of its limitations.