The Evolution of Structure in Nuclei

The evolution of structure in nuclei as a function of nucleon number is discussed and it is shown that finite nuclei can exhibit phase transition-like behavior, and that nuclei at the phase transition points can be described by the new symmetries X(5) and E(5). The evolution of structure as a function of angular momentum has received new attention lately. We briefly discuss the concept of E-GOS plots and the possibility of wobbling-like motion in γ-soft nuclei.