During past years many countries constructed large accelerators for
investigating heavy ion collisions, and new theoretical techniques for
analysing results and making predictions were developed. Semi-classical
methods were studied in the early days of quantum mechanics. Their
application to heavy ion collisions has led to new advances and a number
of different schools have grown up, each one emphasising different
aspects of the theory. The aim of this book is to present a unified
treatment of various lines of development. This book will be of great
interest to graduate students wishing to learn about semi-classical
methods in nuclear physics and to theoretical and experimental nuclear
physicists, especially those working in heavy ion physics. It will also
be of interest to research workers in other areas, such as atomic
physics and quantum chemistry, where similar techniques are used.