Finite Quantum Many-body Problem, The: Selected Papers Of Aage Bohr: (45 World Scientific Series In 20th Century Physics)

Aage Bohr (1922-2009) was the central artificer of the unification of the independent (shell) - and of the collective (liquid drop) - models of the atomic nucleus. This unification constitutes the basis of what can be called the second discovery of the atomic nucleus, for which Aage Bohr and his close collaborator Ben Mottelson co-shared the 1975 Nobel Prize in Physics.The selected papers of Aage Bohr published in the present volume provide a clear account of Aage Bohr's ideas concerning the finite quantal many-body system. These ideas changed the nuclear paradigm and connected the field of nuclear physics with that of quantum condensed matter physics as well as with Quantum Electrodynamics (QED). It has also inspired a whole generation of theorists and experimentalists, helping to create the 'Copenhagen School of Nuclear Physics' which turned the Niels Bohr Institute into the Mecca for research in this subject during the 1960s and 1970s. The legacy of Aage Bohr's scientific achievements and that of the school he founded are felt to this day in connection with the cutting-edge research carried out at the forefront of nuclear structure and nuclear reaction studies.Remembering the words of the sage that 'We are dwarfs mounted on the shoulders of giants, so that we can see more and further than they', the present volume is an attempt at seeking illumination from Aage Bohr, through the reading of his masterfully written papers, and by reflecting over commonly experienced events. Furthermore, it may help practitioners acquire an overall view of the basis of modern theory of nuclear structure.

Table of Contents:
Foreword (C Joas); Overview; On the Quantization of Angular Momenta in Heavy Nuclei; Rotational States of Atomic Nuclei; Elementary Modes of Nuclear Excitations and their Coupling; Excitations in Nuclei; Pair Correlations and Double Transfer Reactions; Rotational Motion; Concepts of Nuclear Structure; Rotational Motion in Nuclei; Some Aspects of Rotational Motion; Tale of Professor Aage Bohr;

Review :
"When reading the papers, one is struck by the impressive breath and depth of Aage Bohr's perspective on physics and by the clarity of its presentation … The interested reader can read the papers independently to get an impression, without the need to consult other texts. For researchers in nuclear physics, the papers provides a reminder the skill with which Aage Bohr and Ben Mottelson, his close collaborator over the years, were able to develop their ideas using theoretical tools to gain far-reaching insight from the sparse experimental information available. For the many physicists who knew Aage Bohr and had the opportunity to talk with him, the reading awakens fond memories. Aage Bohr always approached physics problems with fresh eyes, and he and Ben Mottelson inspired the scientific work of two generations of nuclear physicists."; Thomas Døssing; The Niels Bohr Institute; University of Copenhagen, Denmark;