Fundamentals of Nuclear Models ─ Foundational Models

This book reviews the basic models and theories of nuclear structure and gives an in-depth analysis of their experimental and mathematical foundations. It shows the relationships between the models and exhibits the value of following the strategy of: looking for patterns in all the data available, developing phenomenological models to explain them, and finally giving the models a foundation in a fundamental microscopic theory of interacting neutrons and protons.

This unique book takes a newcomer from an introduction to nuclear structure physics to the frontiers of the subject along a painless path. It provides both the experimental and mathematical foundations of the essential models in a way that is accessible to a broad range of experimental and theoretical physicists. Thus, the book provides a unique resource and an exposition of the essential principles, mathematical structures, assumptions, and observational data on which the models and theories are based. It avoids discussion of many non-essential variations and technical details of the models.

David Rowe (left) is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto and John Wood (right) is a Professor Emeritus at the Georgia Institute of Technology. When they met, it quickly became apparent that, although their experiences and research methods were different, their overlapping interests and common philosophical approach to physics made communication between them easy. Writing this book became an integral part of their complementary research programs aimed at understanding the experimental and mathematical foundations on which the models and theories of nuclear structure physics are based.