Seven years after the first experiments in the new subfield of nuclear physics known as the highly relativistic heavy ion physics, the NATO Advanced Study Institute on title] was held at Il Ciocco, near Lucca in Tuscany, Italy. This proceedings volume begins with an overview section (seven lectures

Seven years after the first experiments in the new field of Nuclear Physics, the Highly Relativistic Heavy Ion Physics, the Nato-Advanced- Study-Institute on the 'Particle Production in Highly Excited Matter' was held from July 12 till July 24, 1992, at Il Ciocco, Castelvecchio Pascoli, near Lucca in Italy. The school took place at a mo- ment when intensive efforts are mounted by the scientific community of Relativistic Heavy Ion Physics to meet the extraordinary challenge of the new upcoming physics opportunities. The gold beams of 10 GeV A at Brookhaven AGS have been sent to the experiments...