Multistep fragmentation of heavy ions in peripheral collisions at relativistic energies

We study the electromagnetic excitation of high-lying nuclear states by means of peripheral relativistic heavy ion collisions. The present experimental evidence for the excitation of E1 and E2 giant resonances is discussed theoretically. The multiphonon giant dipole resonance excitation is explored. Absolute values of cross sections for N-phonon excitations are given using the harmonic oscillator model. The role of the damping of the giant resonance states is investigated.