  Dynamical and thermal characterizations of excited nuclear systems produced
during the collisions between two heavy ions at intermediate incident energies
are presented by means of a review of experimental and theoretical work
performed in the last two decades. Intensity interferometry, applied to both
charged particles (light particles and intermediate mass fragments) and to
uncharged radiation (gamma rays and neutrons) has provided relevant information
about the space-time properties of nuclear reactions. The volume, lifetime,
density and relative chronology of particle emission from decaying nuclear
sources has been extensively explored and has provided valuable information
about the dynamics of heavy-ion collisions. Similar correlation techniques
applied to coincidences between light particles and complex fragments are also
presented as a tool to determine the internal excitation energy of excited
primary fragments as it appears in secondary-decay phenomena.
