High-Energy Atomic Physics—Experimental

Abstract

These volumes are compelling testimony to the rapid development of heavy-ion collisions as penetrating probes of nuclear structure and as sources of information on nuclear dynamics. But with equal emphasis, the availability of heavy-ion projectiles has had a major impact on other fields of physics. One such particularly fruitful overlap is with atomic physics. Atomic collisions with light projectiles such as photons, electrons, and protons have always been important probes of atomic structure. Most recently, the introduction of a greatly expanded pool of heavy-ion projectiles and the ability to accelerate these to high energies has further extended this field and, more significantly, introduced unique opportunities to study new phenomena. Indeed, during the last decade, paralleling the development of heavy-ion accelerators, a clearly distinguishable field of high-energy atomic and molecular physics has emerged. Recent conferences reflect its scope (Od 80, Gr 81, Cr 82, Da 82).