Dramatic progress has been made in all branches of physics since the National Research Council's 1986 decadal survey of the field. The Physics in a New Era series explores these advances and looks ahead to future goals. The series includes assessments of the major subfields and reports on several smaller subfields, and preparation has begun on an overview volume on the unity of physics, its relationships to other fields, and its contributions to national needs.


Nuclear Physics is the latest volume of the series. The book describes current activity in understanding nuclear structure and symmetries, the behavior of matter at extreme densities, the role of nuclear physics in astrophysics and cosmology, and the instrumentation and facilities used by the field. It makes recommendations on the resources needed for experimental and theoretical advances in the coming decade.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Summary and Recommendations
1 Introduction
2 The Structures of the Nuclear Building Blocks
3 The Structure of Nuclei
4 Matter at Extreme Densities
5 The Nuclear Physics of the Universe
6 Symmetry Tests in Nuclear Physics
7 The Tools of Nuclear Physics
8 Nuclear Physics and Society
Appendix: Accelerator Facilities for Nuclear Physics in the United States