Universal Features of Super-deformed Nuclei

The ever-increasing accuracy with which nuclear structure studies can be performed experimentally and theoretically has yielded a wealth of fascinating new results. It is now well known that throughout the periodic table nuclei can adopt a rich variety of shapes, particularly when rotated. The shape changes result from the interplay between macroscopic (liquid-drop) and microscopic (shell-correction) contributions to the total energy of the nucleus. The ever-increasing accuracy with which nuclear structure studies can be performed experimentally and theoretically has yielded a wealth of fascinating new results. It is now well known that throughout the periodic table nuclei can adopt a rich variety of shapes, particularly when rotated. The shape changes result from the interplay between macroscopic (liquid-drop) and microscopic (shell-correction) contributions to the total energy of the nucleus. The aim of the present monograph is to bring the latest discoveries in nuclear physics and systematically analyzing the data obtained from the spectroscopy of the superdeformed (SD) nuclei.