Symmetries in Atomic Nuclei aims to present an overview of recent applications of symmetry to the description of atomic nuclei. Special care is given to a pedagogical introduction of symmetry concepts using simple examples. After a historical overview of the applications of symmetry in nuclear physics, progress in the field during the last decade is reviewed. Special emphasis is put on the introduction of neutron-proton and boson-fermion degrees of freedom. Their combination leads to a supersymmetric description of pairs and quartets of nuclei.

Both theoretical aspects and experimental signatures of dynamical (super)symmetries are carefully discussed. Case studies show how these symmetries are displayed by real atomic nuclei which have been studied experimentally using state-of-the art spectroscopy. This book focuses on nuclear structure physics and has been written by active investigators in the field, but its scope is wider and is intended for final-year or post-graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the power and beauty of symmetry methods in physics.

The revised edition of this established work presents an extended overview of recent applications of symmetry to the description of atomic nuclei, including a pedagogical introduction to symmetry concepts using simple examples. Following a historical overview of the applications of symmetry in nuclear physics, attention turns to more recent progress in the field. Special emphasis is placed on the introduction of neutron-proton and boson-fermion degrees of freedom. Their combination leads to a supersymmetric description of pairs and quartets of nuclei. Expanded and updated throughout, the book now features separate chapters on the nuclear shell model and the interacting boson model, the former including discussion of recent results on seniority in a single-j shell. Both theoretical aspects and experimental signatures of dynamical (super)symmetries are carefully discussed. This book focuses on nuclear structure physics, but its broad scope makes it suitable for final-year or post-graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the power and beauty of symmetry methods in physics. Review of the 1st Edition: "The subject of this book, symmetries in physical systems, with particular focus on atomic nuclei, is of the utmost importance in modern physical science. In contrast to most treatments, frequently characterized by fearsome formalism, this book leads the reader step-by-step, in an easily understandable way, through this fascinating field...this book is remarkably accessible to both theorists and experimentalists. Indeed, I view it as essential reading for experimental nuclear structure physicists. This is one of the finest volumes on this subject I have ever encountered." Prof. R.F. Casten, Yale University

Nuclear structure physics is undergoing a major revival, full of activities and excitement. On the experimental side, this is being made possible by advances in detector technology and accelerator capabilities that give access to data and nuclei (especially exotic nuclei far from stability) never before accessible. On the theoretical side, new concepts, ideas and computational techniques are advancing our understanding of effective interactions, nucleonic correlations, and symmetries of structure.This volume covers a broad range of topics on nuclear structure, including collective excitations, proton-neutron excitation modes, phase transitions, signatures of structure, isospin, structure at both high and low angular momenta, recent developments in nuclear theory, the vast new realm of exotic nuclei far from the valley of stability, and the latest technological advances of detectors and facilities which will lead this branch of physics into the future.

The revised edition of this established work presents an extended overview of recent applications of symmetry to the description of atomic nuclei, including a pedagogical introduction to symmetry concepts using simple examples. Following a historical overview of the applications of symmetry in nuclear physics, attention turns to more recent progress in the field. Special emphasis is placed on the introduction of neutron-proton and boson-fermion degrees of freedom. Their combination leads to a supersymmetric description of pairs and quartets of nuclei. Expanded and updated throughout, the book now features separate chapters on the nuclear shell model and the interacting boson model, the former including discussion of recent results on seniority in a single-j shell. Both theoretical aspects and experimental signatures of dynamical (super)symmetries are carefully discussed. This book focuses on nuclear structure physics, but its broad scope makes it suitable for final-year or post-graduate students and researchers interested in understanding the power and beauty of symmetry methods in physics. Review of the 1st Edition: "The subject of this book, symmetries in physical systems, with particular focus on atomic nuclei, is of the utmost importance in modern physical science. In contrast to most treatments, frequently characterized by fearsome formalism, this book leads the reader step-by-step, in an easily understandable way, through this fascinating field...this book is remarkably accessible to both theorists and experimentalists. Indeed, I view it as essential reading for experimental nuclear structure physicists. This is one of the finest volumes on this subject I have ever encountered." Prof. R.F. Casten, Yale University