Static and dynamical properties of QCD at finite temperature and density are reviewed. Non-perturbative aspects of the QCD plasma and the modification of the hadron properties associated with the chiral transition are discussed on the basis of lattice data, effective theories and QCD sum rules. Special emphasis is laid on the importance of the finite baryon density to see the effects of the restoration of chiral symmetry in experiment.

This book highlights the discussions by renown researchers on questions emerged during transition from the relativistic heavy-ion collider (RHIC) to the future electron ion collider (EIC). Over the past two decades, the RHIC has provided a vast amount of data over a wide range of the center of mass energies. What are the scientific priorities, after RHIC is shut down and turned to the future EIC? What should be the future focuses of the high-energy nuclear collisions? What are thermodynamic properties of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) at large baryon density? Where is the phase boundary between quark-gluon-plasma and hadronic matter at high baryon density? How does one make connections from thermodynamics learned in high-energy nuclear collisions to astrophysical topics, to name few, the inner structure of compact stars, and perhaps more interestingly, the dynamical processes of the merging of neutron stars? While most particle physicists are interested in Dark Matter, we should focus on the issues of Visible Matter! Multiple heavy-ion accelerator complexes are under construction: NICA at JINR (4 ~ 11 GeV), FAIR at GSI (2 ~ 4.9 GeV SIS100), HIAF at IMP (2 ~ 4 GeV). In addition, the heavy-ion collision has been actively discussed at the J-PARC. The book is a collective work of top researchers from the field where some of the above-mentioned basic questions will be addressed. We believe that answering those questions will certainly advance our understanding of the phase transition in early universe as well as its evolution that leads to today's world of nature.

This is a collection of exciting papers in the area of high energy nuclear collisions and quark gluon plasma. The volume covers lectures on the natures of hadronic matter at high temperature and/or density and signals of quark-hadron phase transitions. It also includes discussions and descriptions of the data of CERN and BNL nucleus-nucleus collisions. Other contributions deal with physics at RHIC, LHC and the PS-collider, collision simulators and various related topics.

Many facets of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) are relevant to the in-depth discussion of theoretical and experimental aspects of high-energy nucleus-nucleus collisions. Exciting phenomena are being discovered in such ultrarelativistic heavy ion collisions, notably the increasingly important role of deconfined quark-gluon matter created in the early stage. The book contains lectures on the physics of hot dense matter, the expected phase transitions and colour superconductivity, recent developments in the treatment of nonlinear effects at large parton densities, fundamental issues in the phenomenology of ultrarelativistic heavy collisions. The latest data on heavy ion collisions are also presented. A unique collection of lectures on the many facets of QCD relevant to the physics of hot dense matter.

This invaluable book is an extensive set of lecture notes on various aspects of non-perturbative quantum chromodynamics ? the fundamental theory of strong interaction on which nuclear and hadronic physics is based.The original edition of the book, written in the mid-1980's, had more of a review style. In the second edition the outline remains the same, but the text has been completely rewritten, and extended. Apart from the new developments over the years, this edition has benefited from several graduate courses which the author has taught at Stony Brook during the last decade. The text is now complemented by exercises and has a total of about 1000 references to major works, arranged by subject.Three major issues ? the structure of the QCD vacuum, the structure of hadrons, and the physics of hot/dense matter ? are addressed as physics problems. Therefore, when discussing any specific subject, the book attempts to incorporate (1) all the solid theoretical results, (2) experimental information, and (3) results of numerical (lattice) simulations, which are playing an increasing role in quantum field theory in general, and the development of QCD in particular.The QCD Vacuum, Hadrons and Superdense Matter takes the reader from the first encounter with the subject to the front line of research, as quickly as possible.

This is probably the only textbook available that gathers QCD, many-body theory and phase transitions in one volume. The presentation is pedagogical and readable. It provides materials interesting to both students and researchers of astrophysics, nuclear physics and high energy physics.

This invaluable book is an extensive set of lecture notes on various aspects of non-perturbative quantum chromodynamics — the fundamental theory of strong interaction on which nuclear and hadronic physics is based.The original edition of the book, written in the mid-1980's, had more of a review style. In the second edition the outline remains the same, but the text has been completely rewritten, and extended. Apart from the new developments over the years, this edition has benefited from several graduate courses which the author has taught at Stony Brook during the last decade. The text is now complemented by exercises and has a total of about 1000 references to major works, arranged by subject.Three major issues — the structure of the QCD vacuum, the structure of hadrons, and the physics of hot/dense matter — are addressed as physics problems. Therefore, when discussing any specific subject, the book attempts to incorporate (1) all the solid theoretical results, (2) experimental information, and (3) results of numerical (lattice) simulations, which are playing an increasing role in quantum field theory in general, and the development of QCD in particular.The QCD Vacuum, Hadrons and Superdense Matter takes the reader from the first encounter with the subject to the front line of research, as quickly as possible.

This book presents a recent survey of the advances in hadron physics. The main topics are nonperturbative high energy processes in QCD, deep inelastic scattering and perturbative QCD, RHIC and quark-gluon plasma physics and effective theories for low energy QCD.The book contains four series of lectures written in a pedagogical style and a number of short papers on the main subject. They will benefit researchers who want to be familiar with the frontiers of hadron physics and its connection with the large experimental programs under development in laboratories such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider (RHIC) and the Thomas Jefferson National Laboratory.

The past decade has seen the development of the operational understanding of fun damental interactions within the standard model. This has detoured our attention from the great enigmas posed by the dynamics and collective behavior of strongly interacting particles. Discovered more than 30 years ago, the thermal nature of the hadronic particle spectra has stimulated considerable theoretical effort, which so far has failed to 'confirm' on the basis of microscopic interactions the origins of this phenomenon. However, a highly successful Statistical Bootstrap Model was developed by Rolf Hagedorn at CERN about 30 years ago, which has led us to consider the 'boiling hadronic matter' as a transient state in the trans formation of hadronic particles into their melted form which we call Quark-GIuon-Plasma (QGP). Today, we return to seek detailed understanding of the thermalization processes of hadronic matter, equipped on the theoretical side with the knowledge of the fundamental strong interaction theory, the quantum chromo-dynamics (QCD), and recognizing the im portant role of the complex QCD-vacuum structure. On the other side, we have developed new experimental tools in the form of nuclear relativistic beams, which allow to create rather extended regions in space-time of Hot Hadronic Matter. The confluence of these new and recent developments in theory and experiment led us to gather together from June 27 to July 1, 1994, at the Grand Hotel in Divonne-Ies-Bains, France, to discuss and expose the open questions and issues in our field.