New Directions in Atomic Physics

The last few years have seen some remarkable advances in the understanding of atomic phenomena. It is now possible to isolate atomic systems in traps, measure in coincidence the fragments of collision processes, and by the use of storage rings produce and study multicharged ions; one can look at bulk matter in such a way that the fundamental atomic character is clearly evident, and work has begun to tease out the properties of antimatter. The papers in this book correspond to the invited talks at a conference dedicated to the study of all aspects of modern atomic physics. The meeting was designed both as a way of taking stock of what has been achieved and, it was hoped, as a means of stimulating new research, in new areas, along new lines. Consequently, an effort was made to touch on as many directions as possible. Amongst the topics included were: Coincidence studies of atomic collisions, hollow atom, clusters, atom traps, Bose-Einstein condensates, atomic interferometry, density functional theory, atomic physics with anti-matter and surface adsorbates. The papers in this book covered a wide range of topics in modern atomic physics. These topics were chosen to reflect some of the main new directions in research. An effort was made to identify novel approaches and areas of study which hold out the maximal potential for further developments.