Giant resonances: Progress, new directions, new challenges

A review of some recent developments in the field of giant multipole resonances is presented. Particular emphasis is placed on directions that the authors feel will be followed in this field during the next several years. In particular, the use of high-energy heavy ions to excite the giant resonances is shown to provide exciting new capabilities for giant resonance studies. Among subjects covered are: Coulomb excitation of giant resonances, photon decay of giant resonances, the recent controversy over the identity of the giant monopole resonance, the most recent value for incompressibility of nuclear matter from analysis of giant monopole data, the isospin character of the 63 A-1/3 GQR, agreement between (e,e') and (hadron, hadron') excitation of the giant quadrupole resonance, prospects for multiphonon giant resonance observation, and isolation of the isovector giant quadrupole resonance. 55 refs., 23 figs., 4 tabs