Written for postgraduates and advanced undergraduates in physics, this clear and concise work covers a wide range of subjects from intermediate to ultra-relativistic energies, thus providing an introductory overview of heavy ion physics. The reader is introduced to essential principles in heavy ion physics through 26 questions, with detailed answers, of varying difficulty. This timely text is based on a series of well received lectures given by Professor L. Csernai at the University of Minnesota, and the University of Bergen, where the author is based.

Eunice Y.C. Li-Chan is Professor of Chemistry at the University of British Columbia. B.Sc. (Agr), Food Science, The University of British Columbia, M.Sc., Biochemistry, The University of Alberta, Ph.D., Food Science, The University of British Columbia. Her research interests are to: elucidate structure-function relationships of food proteins &peptides; apply Raman and other spectroscopic methods to study food systems; discover peptides & proteins with specific biological or functional activity for use as value added-products from the food industry

John Chalmers is an independent consultant in the field of vibrational spectroscopy, as well as a Reader at the University of Nottingham. John left ICI in 1997 after 22 years, serving as a Business Research Associate in the Science Support Group of ICI Technology. He is chairman of the UK Infrared and Raman Discussion Group (IRDG) and current chairman of the RSC (Royal Society of Chemistry) Molecular Spectroscopy Subject Group. He is a member of the Association of British Spectroscopists (ABS) Trust. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In 1994, he received the Williams-Wright Award from the Coblentz Society.

Peter Griffiths is a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Idaho. In 1972, he joined the faculty of Ohio University, becoming Distinguished Professor less than 10 years later. After spending 7 years on the faculty of the University of California, Riverside, he was appointed chair of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Idaho, a post he held for 8 years. Professor Griffiths has published 4 books, 25 book chapters and over 200 papers in the area of vibrational spectroscopy. He has received various awards, including the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh Award and the Fritz Pregl Medal of the Austrian Society of Analytical Chemistry.