This book summarizes the recent development of nuclear science as an important part of mesoscopic physics, the intermediate world between the macroscopic and microscopic. This fast developing area with many practical applications includes complex atoms, molecules (including biological), nuclei, small-scale solid state systems, and future quantum computers. The complexity of the problem appears due to the richness of problems, from the necessity to study individual quantum levels, to the fundamental features of statistics and thermodynamics.

Contents:

• Introduction


• Nucleus as a Mesoscopic Object


• Many-Body Nuclear Complexity


• Statistical Ensembles


• Shell Model as a Testing Ground for Quantum Chaos


• Nucleus as an Open System


• Quantum Signal Transmission


• References


• Index

Readership: The book could be useful for the reader interested in the current evolution of science, on all levels — from a student to a practitioner working in different areas of physics and engineering.

Key Features:

• There are no competing books (only journal articles)


• The treatment combines nuclear physics, statistical thermodynamics, mathematics of random matrices, and simple engineering schemes of possible applications


• The authors have significant experience in practical university teaching and publishing textbooks