The investigation of hadronic and nuclear probes with protons and electrons in the energy range of a few GeV is of great importance for the understanding of the properties of nucleons and mesons as well as of their interaction. Experimental results from studies with these beams provide the basis for the development and the tests of theoretical approaches in the energy regime of non-perturbative QCD. They can also clarify the effect of the nuclear medium on elementary reactions. The conference has reviewed the present status of this field of research. The topics have beenThe conference topics comprised investigations near energy thresholds in the tradition of the conferences on Particle Production near Threshold in Nashville, IN, USA, 1990, and Uppsala, Sweden, 1992.

In this second edition of Particle Accelerator Physics, Vol. 1, is mainly a reprint of the first edition without significant changes in content. The bibliography has been updated to include more recent progress in the field of particle accelerators. With the help of many observant readers a number of misprints and errors could be eliminated. The author would like to express his sincere appreciation to all those who have pointed out such shortcomings and wel comes such information and any other relevant information in the future. The author would also like to express his special thanks to the editor Dr. Helmut Lotsch and his staff for editorial as well as technical advice and support which contributed greatly to the broad acceptance of this text and made a second edition of both volumes necessary. Palo Alto, California Helmut Wiedemann November 1998 VII Preface to the First Edition The purpose of this textbook is to provide a comprehensive introduction into the physics of particle accelerators and particle beam dynamics. Parti cle accelerators have become important research tools in high energy physics as well as sources of incoherent and coherent radiation from the far infra red to hard x-rays for basic and applied research. During years of teaching accelerator physics it became clear that the single most annoying obstacle to get introduced into the field is the absence of a suitable textbook.