The Handbook of Nuclear Physics, with over 4,000 pages edited by prominent researchers worldwide in the field, provides a comprehensive summary of the emerging and established developments in nuclear physics and cosmo-nuclear physics, including the origin of the big bang, discovery of Nihonium and evolving stars.

September 21, 2023

The nucleus plays a central role in the evolution of the universe and stars and in the synthesis of the elements, but what exactly is it? The Handbook of Nuclear Physics is an introduction to nuclear physics to understand the nuclei’s structure and reactions, and to lead readers into a deeper world of research.

The Handbook of Nuclear Physics is a comprehensive, systematic source of modern nuclear physics and aims to summarize experimental and theoretical discoveries and an understanding of unstable nuclei and their exotic structures, which became accessible by the development of the radioactive ion beam in the late 1980s.

This major reference work consists of approximately 4,200 pages and is split into 5 volumes, becoming one of the largest scale handbooks in the field of physics. Available both online and in print, this handbook is comprised of three main parts. The first part introduces experiments and measured facts; the second part summarizes recognized theories to explain the experimental facts; and the third part focuses on cosmo-nuclear physics—one of the mainstream subjects in modern nuclear physics. Supported by introductory reviews, all chapters are accessible to readers at the graduate level, and also serves as a valuable source for beginners, helping them to learn the fundamentals of modern nuclear physics.

Isao Tanihata, Hiroshi Toki, and Toshitaka Kajino the editors-in-chief of this handbook commented as follows:

“Nuclear physics started about 100 years ago, and research was conducted mainly on stable nuclei that existed on the ground. However, the invention of the unstable nuclear beam in the mid-1980s has led to rapid advancement of research on the structure of nuclei with lifetimes of less than 1/1000th of a second. Consequently, the field of nuclear physics has greatly expanded with the discovery of many previously unknown structures and properties. This handbook discusses the unique properties of weakly bound states, which are close to the existential limit, the rich variety of structures of nuclei with largely different proton-neutron ratios, and the central role that nuclei have played in the evolution of the universe and stars. Opening doors to a new world of physics, this handbook provides a broad and in-depth introduction to nuclear physics for both beginners and scientists. It consists of 113 chapters written by the world’s top researchers. We expect the readers to gain understanding about the recent growth of nuclear physics and further developments that will follow.”

This project officially launched in 2019, and reached print publication within 4 years, where the first contribution to this book was published online in 2020 as a living reference edition. A total of 224 researchers from 24 countries were involved in the creation of this book.

Christoph Baumann, Editorial Director, Physics and Astronomy books of Springer Nature commented as follows: 

“I am thrilled that we were able to get Professors Isao Tanihata, Hiroshi Toki, and Toshitaka Kajino to contribute to this milestone in nuclear physics. The three editors have succeeded in bringing together the most important researchers from all branches of nuclear physics to write the most comprehensive reference work on the subject that has been produced in recent decades—perhaps ever. They have not only summarized the established knowledge, but also included all the new developments of the last decades. Therefore, we now have the ultimate reference for all scientists and students who will find all the elementary knowledge of nuclear physics combined in a single work”

“Many thanks, not only to the Springer team, but also to the many authors, peer reviewers, and section editors who, with Isao Tanihata, Hiroshi Toki, and Toshitaka Kajino, have contributed to the creation of this great work!”

About the editors

Isao Tanihata is a specially appointed professor at the Research Center of Nuclear Physics (RCNP) of Osaka University, Japan and a professor at the School of Physics at Beihang University, China. His main research subject is nuclear physics and has been involved in the development of radioactive ion (RI) beam science. After the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant following the 2011 Japan earthquake and tsunami, he organized a national project for the measurement of radioactivity in soil within 150 km from the plant.

Hiroshi Toki is an emeritus professor at RCNP, Osaka University, and also a guest professor in Graduate School of Engineering Science, and a specially appointed professor in Health and Counseling Center at Osaka University. His main area of expertise is theoretical nuclear physics theory. In addition, he has expanded his research interests to other fields including the noise theory of electric circuits, mutation and evolution in biological systems, and the application of machine learning technology in health science.

Toshitaka Kajino is currently a university distinguished professor at the School of Physics, Beihang University. His research areas of expertise include the theory of nucleosynthesis in the big-bang, stars, supernovae and neutron star mergers, nuclear structure and reactions of astrophysical interest, neutrino oscillation, galactic chemical evolution, particle cosmology, and astrobiology. 

Isao Tanihata, Hiroshi Toki, Toshitaka Kajino (Eds.)
Handbook of Nuclear Physics
2023, 4207 p. 401 b/w illustrations, 1098 illustrations in colour
ISBN 978-981-19-6344-5
Also available as an eBook

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