Isoscalar Giant Resonances: Experimental Studies

Giant resonances--highly collective, high-frequency oscillations of the atomic nucleus--are the focus of this chapter. We discuss the isoscalar excitations, where the protons and neutrons oscillate in phase, up to angular-momentum transfers $L$ = 3. The procedures of experiments and data analysis employed in extracting the strength distributions associated with these resonances are discussed. The experimentally extracted strength distributions are presented, along with information on the properties of these resonances available to date. The effect of deformation of the nuclear ground state on the resonance strength distributions is discussed. Furthermore, the exciting opportunities being opened with the current and future availability of rare isotope beams the world over are expounded.