Lectures on the Theory of Few-Body Systems

These lectures deal with quantum mechanical two-, three-, and four-body systems. The dynamical equations are presented together with approximate methods of solution. Examples dealing with realistic few-body nuclear systems illustrate the working of these approaches, quite a few of which are not discussed in standard textbooks on quantum mechanics. In contrast to the usual treatment, we deal not only with nucleonic but also with non-nucleonic degrees of freedom. These lectures introduce uninitiated readers to the particulars of few-body systems, and lead them through various useful approaches and approximations. They provide the tools and expertise necessary for independent calculations and research in this field. Besides covering the traditional topics, different versions of finite-dimensional approximations of the potential, an exhaustive review of methods of solving three-body equations, and the differential form of the approximate four-body and Yakubovsky equations are given.