The CBM physics book. Compressed baryonic matter in laboratory experiments. (Q986049)

The Compressed Baryonic Matter (CBM) Physics Book is based on an impressive number of high-quality contributions authored by leading scientists in the field. These contributions represent forefront research on diverse aspects of strongly interacting matter. While covering the topic from a broad perspective, the overall coherence of the material is still maintained. The CBM Physics Book is structured into five topical parts. Part I surveys the bulk properties of strongly interacting matter, including its equation of state and phase structure. Part II discusses elementary (hadronic) excitations of QCD matter, which, in particular, provide the conceptual basis for probing its properties. Part III addresses the concepts and models regarding the space-time dynamics of nuclear collision experiments -- tools essential to connect bulk-matter properties and their excitations to experimental data. A compilation of relevant observables from current and past high-energy heavy-ion facilities is presented in Part IV, augmented by theoretical predictions specific to CBM. Part V finally gives a brief description of the experimental concepts and components underlying the CBM detector. Summaries of each part highlight the main points with topical foci that may serve as quick reference.