SHELL-MODEL MONTE-CARLO METHODS

We review quantum Monte Carlo methods for dealing with large shell mod el problems. These methods reduce the imaginary-time many-body evoluti on operator to a coherent superposition of one-body evolutions in fluc tuating one-body fields; the resultant path integral is evaluated stoc hastically We first discuss the motivation, formalism, and implementat ion of such Shell Model Monte Carlo (SMMC) methods. There then follows a sampler of results and insights obtained from a number of applicati ons. These include the ground state and thermal properties of pf-shell nuclei,the thermal and rotational behavior of rare-earth and gamma-so ft nuclei, and the calculation of double beta-decay matrix elements. F inally, prospects far further progress in such calculations are discus sed.