Springer Atomic Physics with Heavy Ions: 26 (Springer Series on Atomic, Optical, and Plasma Physics, 26)

Product description This book is devoted to one of the most active domains of atomic physic- atomic physics of heavy positive ions. During the last 30 years, this terrain has attracted enormous attention from both experimentalists and theoreti- cians. On the one hand, this interest is stimulated by rapid progress in the development of laboratory ion sources, storage rings, ion traps and methods for ion cooling. In many laboratories, a considerable number of complex and accurate experiments have been initiated, challenging new frontiers. Highly charged ions are used for investigations related to fundamental research and to more applied fields such as controlled nuclear fusion driven by heavy ions and its diagnostics, ion-surface interaction, physics of hollow atoms, x-ray lasers, x-ray spectroscopy, spectrometry of ions in storage rings and ion traps, biology, and medical therapy. On the other hand, the new technologies have stimulated elaborate theo- retical investigations, especially in developing QED theory, relativistic many- body techniques, plasma-kinetic modeling based on the Coulomb interactions of highly charged ions with photons and various atomic particles - electrons, atoms, molecules and ions. The idea of assembling this book matured while the editors were writ- ing another book, X-Ray Radiation of Highly Charged Ions by H. F. Beyer, H. -J. Kluge and V. P. Shevelko (Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg 1997) covering a broad range of x-ray and other radiative phenomena central to atomic physics with heavy ions. From the Back Cover The book guides the reader to the research frontiers in atomic physics with heavy ions, giving a concise image of the advanced experimental and theoretical methods exemplified by the most recent results. It ranges from accelerator and ion trap technology, over the important and fundamental details in the understanding of strongly bound far-electron systems, to radiative and collisional phenomena of these objects. The subfields have been carefully selected; each is covered by leading experts who draw a lively picture of their research.