  The excitation of multiphonon giant resonances with heavy ions is discussed.
The conventional theory, based on the use of the virtual photon number method
in conjunction with the harmonic model is presented and its shortcomings are
discussed. The recently developed model that invoke the Brink-Axel mechanism as
an important contribution to the cross-section is discussed and compared to the
conventional, harmonic model. The decay properties of these multiple giant
resonances are also discussed within the same coherent + fluctuation model in
conjunction with the hybrid decay model. It is demonstrated that the Brink-Axel
mechanism enhances the direct decay of the states, as data seem to require.
Comparison of our model with other recent theoretical works is presented.
