This understandable and inspiring book brings together both theorists and experimentalists working on the properties of nuclear and hadronic matter produced in heavy-ion collisions in various energy ranges. The main focus is on experimental signals revealing the possible phase changes of the matter.

Zusammenfassung
The papers included in this volume present and review the major experimental and theoretical advances in those different communities of physicists addressing similar physics questions, facing similar problems and often using analogous techniques.

Inhalt

Preface. Section I: Thermal and chemical equilibrium. Section II: Non-equilibrium dynamics. Section III: Phase transitions and the critical behaviour. Section IV: Hadronic matter and the quark-gluon plasma. Section V: Multifragmentation, liquid-gas phase transition. List of participants.