Theory of Atomic Nuclei: Foundations

The dimension of a typical atom is 100.000 times larger than the size of its nucleus, however, around 99.975% of the mass of an atom is concentrated in its nucleus. This is why nuclear theory is sometimes called the theory of everything. Theory of Atomic Nuclei: Foundations selects some fundamental problems of the theory of atomic nuclei at low energy. It reviews specific nuclear physics issues in terms of historical development and evolution into more extended theories, which nowadays constitute complete parts of nuclear science. The book allows the reader to understand the structure of the nucleus, i.e., the mechanism that rules in this subatomic world. The book is intended for graduate physics students at universities and nuclear sciences and engineering students at technical universities. It can also be helpful for PhD students and junior researchers in nuclear physics. The book is based on lectures on the theory of atomic nuclei given by the authors at the Maria Curie Skłodowska University in Lublin and at doctoral schools in Poland, France, Germany, the Czech Republic, and China in recent years. It is based mostly on original scientific papers and extensive monographs on nuclear theory.