Black holes exist in galactic nuclei and in some X-ray binaries found in our own galaxy and the large Magellanic Cloud. This volume focuses on astrophysical high-energy emission processes around black holes, and the development of theoretical frameworks for interesting observational results.

A series of new and relevant experimental results are here presented to the community for the first time. In particular, we refer to the measurement of the neutron spin structure functions by the SLAC (E142) and CERN (SMC) collaborations; the first results from MAMI on experiments with tagged photons (A1 collaboration), on electroproduction of multi-hadron final states (A2 collaboration) and the neutron form factor (A3 collaboration); the experiments on strangeness photoproduction at ELSA; the polarization experiments at Bates on the neutron form factor and nuclear response functions and the photon and electron scattering data obtained by the Genova-Frascati Jet Target collaboration.Focused on the study of spin observables and exclusive processes at high momenta, the following sessions were held: The Neutron Form Factors; Spin Structure Functions; Exclusive Processes at High υ and Q2. Deep Inelastic Scattering; Spin Observables; One- and Two-Nucleon Knockout at Low and Intermediate Energies; Excitation of Baryons Resonances and Strangeness.

This book focuses on the ideas to embed nuclear physics in the larger context of hadronic physics by stressing and deepening its widening overlap with particle, astroparticle and condensed matter physics and to emphasize the unity of the two facets not only of nuclear, but of the whole physics; the theoretical and the experimental ones. Counteracting the ominous trend of enlarging the gap between the two, the danger being of depriving experimental physics of ideas promoting experiments and of transforming theoretical physics into metaphysics. The reader will find modern conceptions on nuclear structure, how atomic nuclei are probed through the scattering of high energy electrons and how they interact when accelerated at ultra-relativistic energies. The item connects to the quest for the quark-gluon plasma, perhaps the central theme of the contemporary hadronic physics, whose unraveling requires a vast and profound knowledge of both nuclear and particle physics, in particular QCD.

The book is a collection of papers from the Proceedings of the 5th Italy-Japan Symposium 'Recent Achievements and Perspectives in Nuclear Physics', held in Naples as part of the framework of the INFN-RIKEN Research Collaboration Program. The meeting was devoted to recent achievements and new challenges in the different fields of nuclear physics, with the aim to promote new collaborations between the two communities and thereby enhance the development of nuclear physics in the two countries. Particularly interesting are the topics dedicated to radioactive beams and innovative instrumentation: the prospects for future accelerators and experimental setups as well as novel future research directions. These projects are of key importance for the future of heavy ion nuclear physics.

The Cortona Conference is a biennial meeting of all Italian groups from about 20 universities who are active in theoretical nuclear physics.This volume presents the main achievements and perspectives of Italian theoretical nuclear physics, with particular reference to the last two years.The first part contains the invited talks on: (1) Nuclear structure, (2) Light nuclei physics, (3) Hadronic degrees of freedom, (4) Nuclear physics with electroweak probes, (5) Nuclear dynamics and nuclear matter, and (6) First results about the AIACE experiment. Furthermore it includes two longer communications on: (7) Nuclear physics with exotic beams, and (8) Solution of the folding problem in protein models. The second part contains contributed papers.

The Workshop N* Physics and non-perturbative QeD was held at the Eu ropean Center for Theoretical Studies and Related Areas (ECT*) in Trento, Italy, during May 18-29, 1998. Previous workshops of the series on N* Physics took place at the Florida State University (1994), at CEBAF (1995), at the Institute for Nuclear Theory in Seattle (1996) and at the George Washington University (1997). The Workshop was devoted to a summary of recent experimental and the oretical research on N* phsyics and special emphasis was given to the infor mation that photo-and electro-production of nucleon resonances can provide on the non-perturbative regime of Quantum Chromodynamics. The idea was to stimulate discussions among experimentalists and theoreticians in order to pursue the interpretation of the huge amount of forthcoming data from several laboratories in the world. It was therefore decided to have both experimental and theoretical lectures on the main topics, like ,among the others, single and double pion production, TJ-and K-meson production, the GDH sum rule, the spin of the proton, etc. Thanks to the unusual two-week extension of the Work shop, the allotted time for the lectures was extended up to one hour in order to allow the invited lecturers to give a detailed presentation of their topics. Fi nally, various short contributions were selected to sharpen the discussion about selected items.

The Cortona Conference is a biennial meeting of all Italian groups from about 20 universities who are active in theoretical nuclear physics.This volume presents the main achievements and perspectives of Italian theoretical nuclear physics, with particular reference to the last two years.The first part contains the invited talks on: (1) Nuclear structure, (2) Light nuclei physics, (3) Hadronic degrees of freedom, (4) Nuclear physics with electroweak probes, (5) Nuclear dynamics and nuclear matter, and (6) First results about the AIACE experiment. Furthermore it includes two longer communications on: (7) Nuclear physics with exotic beams, and (8) Solution of the folding problem in protein models. The second part contains contributed papers.