Structure and dynamics of few-nucleon systems

Few-nucleon physics is a field rich with high-quality experimental data and possibilities for accurate calculations of strongly correlated quantum systems. In this article the authors discuss the traditional model of the nucleus as a system of interacting nucleons and outline many recent experimental results and theoretical developments in the field of few-nucleon physics. The authors describe nuclear structure and spectra, clustering and correlations, elastic and inelastic electromagnetic form factors, low-energy electroweak reactions, and nuclear scattering and response in the quasielastic regime. Through a review of the rich body of experimental data and a variety of theoretical developments, a coherent description of the nuclear strong- and electroweak-interaction properties emerges. In this article, the authors attempt to provide some insight into the practice and possibilities in few-nucleon physics today. [S0034-6861 (98)00703-X].