The Amalfi Coast International Spring Seminar on Nuclear Physics

These Seminars have been held since 1986 starting in Sorrento and continuing in Capri, Ischia, Amalfi, Ravello, Santa Agata sue dui Golfi, Maiori, Paestum, Vico Equense and Vietri. The venue was opened to scientists from all corners of the world with particular effort to attract and support those from remote areas and regions with unfavourable exchange rates. Over the years many collaborations and friendships were started.

The 10^th International Spring Seminar on Nuclear Physics "New quests in nuclear structure" was held in Vietri sul Mare (a small town 50 km from Naples, 2 km from Salerno) from May 21 to 25, 2010. This Seminar has been the tenth in a series of meetings started in May 1986 and organized by A. Covello and collaborators at the University of Naples "Federico II". The main aim of these meetings is to bring together researchers from all over the world to discuss recent advances and new perspectives in nuclear structure experiment and theory in an informal and friendly atmosphere. Their truly international character was confirmed by the attendance at the Vietri meeting of about 100 participants coming from some 20 countries.

The highlights of the meeting were the study of exotic nuclei and the advances in the theory of nuclear structure. Nuclear structure studies of exotic nuclei are currently being performed in several laboratories where beams of radioactive nuclei are available. Meanwhile the development of new facilities, which will provide high-intensity beams, is in progress or under discussion in Europe, Asia and North America. At the Vietri meeting a comprehensive overview of this fascinating field and of future scenarios was given thanks to the participation of leaders of the most important projects. As regards nuclear structure theory, the impressive advances in pushing ahead its frontiers were highlighted. On the one hand, the new exciting results of spectroscopic studies of nuclei far from stability is giving impetus to theoretical studies of possible changes of nuclear structure. On the other hand, sustained efforts are being made to understand the properties of nuclei in terms of the basic interactions between the constituents. This means that a truly microscopic theory of nuclear structure is on the way.

The Vietri Seminar ended with a Round Table Discussion on the theme "Trends and Perspectives in Nuclear Structure". Six distinguished physicists, N. Benczer-Koller, B. A. Brown, A. Faessler, B. Fornal, O. Sorlin and I. Talmi took part in the panel and their remarks brought about the active involvement of the audience. The main outcome of the discussion was that nuclear structure physics is undergoing a real renaissance and one may look confidently forward to major developments in the years to come.

Aldo Covello is at the Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) and the University of Napoli

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