The series of volumes, Contemporary Concepts in Physics, is addressed to the professional physicist and to the serious graduate student of physics. The subject of many-body systems constitutes a central chapter in the study of quantum mechanics, with applications ranging from elementary particle and condensed matter physics to the behaviour of compact stellar objects. Quantal size effects is one of the most fascinating facets of many-body physics; this is testified to by the developments taking place in the study of metallic clusters, fullerenes, nanophase materials, and atomic nuclei. This book is divided into two main parts: the study of giant resonances based on the atomic nucleus ground state (zero temperature), and the study of the y-decay of giant resonances from compound (finite temperature) nuclei.
Giant resonances are collective excitations of the atomic nucleus, a typical quantum many-body system. The study of these fundamental modes has in many respects contributed to our understanding of the bulk behavior of the nucleus and of the dynamics of non-equilibrium excitations. Although the phenomenon of giant resonances has been known for more than 50 years, a large amount of information has been obtained in the last 10 years. This book gives an up-to-date, comprehensive account of our present knowledge of giant resonances. It presents the experimental facts and the techniques used to obtain that information, describes how these facts fit into theoretical concepts and how this allows to determine various nuclear properties which are otherwise difficult to obtain. Included as an introduction is an overview of the main facts, a short history of how the field has developed in the course of time, and a discussion of future perspectives.
Often, a new area of science grows at the confines between recognised subject divisions, drawing upon techniques and intellectual perspectives from a diversity of fields. Such growth can remain unnoticed at first, until a characteristic fami ly of effects, described by appropriate key words, has developed, at which point a distinct subject is born. Such is very much the case with atomic 'giant resonances'. For a start, their name itself was borrowed from the field of nuclear collective resonances. The energy range in which they occur, at the juncture of the extreme UV and the soft X-rays, remains to this day a meeting point of two different experimental techniques: the grating and the crystal spectrometer. The impetus of synchrotron spectroscopy also played a large part in developing novel methods, described by many acronyms, which are used to study 'giant resonances' today. Finally, although we have described them as 'atomic' to differentiate them from their counterparts in Nuclear Physics, their occurrence on atomic sites does not inhibit their existence in molecules and solids. In fact, 'giant resonances' provide a new unifying theme, cutting accross some of the traditional scientific boundaries. After much separate development, the spectroscopies of the atom in various environments can meet afresh around this theme of common interest. Centrifugal barrier effects and 'giant resonances' proper emerged almost simultaneously in the late 1960's from two widely separated areas of physics, namely the study of free atoms and of condensed matter.
This is the most recent and complete review on giant resonances in nuclei. It includes electric as well as magnetic collective states and a detailed discussion on the excitation mechanisms and the decay properties is given.
This is the most recent and complete review on giant resonances in nuclei. It includes electric as well as magnetic collective states and a detailed discussion on the excitation mechanisms and the decay properties is given.
In this book the author charts the developments in nuclear physics since its inception around a century ago by reviewing the key experiments that helped drive and shape our understanding of the field, especially in the context of the wider developments in physics in the early 20th century. In addition to providing a path through the field and the crucial events it looks at how these experiments not only answered key questions at the time but presented new challenges to the contemporary perception of the nuclear and sub-atomic worlds and how they helped develop our present understanding of nuclear physics.
The Atlas of Neutron Resonances provides detailed information on neutron resonances, thermal neutron cross sections, and average resonance properties which are important to neutron physicist, astrophysicists, solid state physicists, reactor engineers, scientists involved in activation analysis, and evaluators of neutron cross sections. · Compilation and evaluation of the world's thermal neutron cross-sections and resonance parameters for neutron physicists, reactor engineers, and neutron evaluators.· Compilation and evaluation of coherent scattering lengths for solid state physicists and evaluators· Compilation and evaluation of average 30-keV capture cross sections for astrophysicists.· Nuclear level density parameters derived from average spacings of neutron resonances following a new approach (new feature for this edition).· Brief review of sub-threshold fission.· Comparisons of optical model predictions with neutron strength function data and scattering lengths.· Estimation of average E1 radiative widths on the basis of the generalized Landau-Fermi liquid model (a new feature for this edition).
This book focuses on a new development of spin giant resonances in nuclei. It covers: quenching phenomena in Gamow-Teller giant resonances, spin-dipole giant resonances, spin-longitudinal and transverse responses in quasi-elastic scattering, microscopic structures, isoscalar spin responses, and spin excitations in exotic nuclei as well as in related fields. The book provides comprehensive coverage of theory and experiment on intriguing spin phenomena, by distinguished contributors.
Until the publication of the first edition of Introduction to Nuclear Reactions in 2004, an introductory reference on nuclear reactions had been unavailable. Now, fully updated throughout, this second edition continues to provide an authoritative overview of nuclear reactions. It discusses the main formalisms, ranging from basic laws to the final formulae used in academic research to calculate measurable quantities. Well known in their fields, the authors begin with a basic introduction to elements of scattering theory followed by a study of its applications to specific nuclear reactions. Early chapters give a framework of compound nucleus formation and its decay, fusion, fission, and direct reactions, that can be easily understood by the novice. These chapters also serve as prototypes for applications of the underlying physical ideas presented in previous chapters. The largest section of the book comprises the physical models that have been developed to account for the various aspects of nuclear reaction phenomena, including reactions in stellar environments, cosmic rays, and during the big bang. The final chapters survey applications of the eikonal wavefunction and of nuclear transport equations to nuclear reactions at high energies. By combining a thorough theoretical approach with applications to recent experimental data, Introduction to Nuclear Reactions helps you understand the results of experimental measurements rather than describe how they are made. A clear treatment of the topics and coherent organization make this information understandable to students and professionals with a solid foundation in physics as well as to those with a more general science and technology background. Features: Analyses in detail different models of the nucleus and discusses their interrelations. Fully updated throughout, with new sections and additional discussions on stellar evolution, big bang nucleosynthesis, neutron stars and relativistic heavy ion collisions. Discusses the latest developments in nuclear reaction theory and experiments and explores both direct reaction theories and heavy ion reactions, which are newly important to nuclear physics in reactions with rare nuclear isotopes.
