This workshop is the fifth in a series devoted to the presentation and discussion of new findings in the field of noncrystalline solids such as amorphous and nanocrystalline materials, granular systems and fine particles, multiphase systems and thin films, polymers, and other disordered systems. The workshop is divided into six categories, with ten invited contributions.

Lectures presented in this book reflect well the new results and new problems which attract the attention of both experimentalists and theorists working in the field of physics of multiphoton processes in atoms and molecules.

The impact of lasers on spectroscopy can hardly be overestimated. Lasers re present intense light sources with spectral energy densities which may exceed those of i ncoheren t sources by severa 1 orders of magnitude. Furthermore be cause of their extremely small bandwidth, single-mode lasers allow a spectral resolution which far exceeds that of conventional spectrometers. Many experi ments which could not be done before the application of lasers because of lack of intensity or insufficient resol ution are readily performed wi th lasers. Now several thousands of laser lines are known which span the whole spec tral range from the vacuum-ultraviolet to the far-infrared region. Of parti cular interest are the continuously tunable lasers which may in many cases replace wavelength-selecting elements, such as spectrometers or interferome ters. In combination with optical frequency mixing, techniques such conti nuously tunable monochromatic coherent light sources are available at nearly any desired wavelength above 100 nm.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

The second international conference on the subject of Picosecond Phenomena was held June 18-20, 1980, in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Scientists from a broad range of disciplines were brought together to discuss their common interest in ultrafast processes. This meeting was organized as a Topical Meeting of the Optical Society of America and was attended by 250 partici pants. The conference reviewed the latest advances in the experimental and theo retical understanding of phenomena that occur on a picosecond timescale. New discoveries in electronics, chemical dynamics, solid state physics, and pico second optics highlighted the interactions between chemists, physicists, biologists,and engineers who attended the conference. The enthusia~m gener ated by the rapid progress in the last two years and the pleasant Cape Cod weather resulted in a successful and enjoyable conference. The conference owes a special thanks to Dr. Jarus Quinn, Joan Connon, and their colleagues at the Optical Society of America for doing a superb job in implementing the meeting arrangements and to the program committee for the selection and organization of the technical presentations. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, the u.S. Army Research Office, and the AFOSR.

A wide-ranging review of modern spectroscopic techniques such as X-ray, photoelectron, optical and laser spectroscopy, and radiofrequency and microwave techniques. On the fundamental side the book focuses on physical principles and the impact of spectroscopy on our understanding of the building blocks of matter, while in the area of applications particular attention is given to those in chemical analysis, photochemistry, surface characterisation, environmental and medical diagnostics, remote sensing and astrophyscis. The Fourth Edition also provides the reader with an update on laser cooling and trapping, Bose-Einstein condensation, ultra-fast spectroscopy, high-power laser/matter interaction, satellite-based astronomy and spectroscopic aspects of laser medicine.

The physics and chemistry of surfaces is becoming more and more important as an exciting field of basic research as well as in devices and technology. The diagnoses and the conditioning of surfaces and studies of molecular interac tions with surfaces have made large advancements by using laser techniques. With its divisional meeting 1983 the Quantum Electronics Division of the European Physical Society tried to set up a forum where the latest ideas and achievements could be presented and discussed. The wide range of topics (gen eral surface spectroscopy, surface-enhanced optical processes, laser surface spectroscopy, laser-induced processes at surfaces) was deliberately chosen to provide an opportunity for specialists from one field to get acquainted with the techniques and results from others. This meeting took place in Mauterndorf, Austria, from March 9th to March 11th, 1983. Mauterndorf is a small village in the Austrian Alps, situated in a well-known skiing area. The conference was held in a medieval castle adapt ed as a conference center. These stimulating surroundings guaranteed a vivid exchange of ideas among the 98 participants from 17 nations. Among the numerous people engaged in the organization, our special thanks go to Mrs. I. Mandl and Mrs. B. Seeberg for doing a superb job in implementing the meeting arrangements and efficiently prompting the authors to deliver their manuscripts for this volume in time.

This Conference on biomedical applications of. lasers ~Ias organized by the Quantum Electronics Divisional Board of the European Physical Society (E.P.S.) and held at the Villa of Poggio Imperiale in Florence, September 3-6, 1979. As kno~m, laser surgery (especially microsurgery and endoscopic photo coagulation) has recently made important progress, and the field is expand i ng rapidly. Very significant applications of lasers have also been achieved in Bi ology during recent years (cell microsurgery, cell counting and sorting, cytofluorimeter devices, etc.) and the potential of laser techniques in this field is nO~1 sufficiently well establ ished. A new class of applications of laserradiJtion in Medicine has recently been made possible by important results obtained with low intensity (non coagulative) visible lasers, such as photodynamic therapy of tumors. At the same time important branches of Medicine, where light effects are studied and optical techniques are presently used for a certain number of clinical applications, such as dermatology and pediatry, appear to be still in their infancy as far as the proper use of optical radiation and techniques, and the understanding of fundamental photoinduced biological processes are con cerned. Moreover, laser photobiology appears a very promising field for the investigation of fundamental processes at the biomolecular level.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.