Light and unbound nuclei An introduction to ab initio methods in nuclear structure and reaction theory

Light nuclei display a wide variety of phenomena: from stable bound states, to rare unstable isotopes and transient resonances, to mutual dynamical interactions during a reaction. After an overview of these phenomena, basic formalism and concepts in ab initio nuclear structure and reaction theory are introduced, followed by selected examples of how powerful techniques for the description of the nuclear force and the solution of the nuclear quantum many-body problem combined with cutting-edge high-performance computing are enabling a comprehensive understanding of light exotic nuclei and thermonuclear reactions that play an important role in the Cosmos and on Earth.