Abstract
Physics can be organized as a sequence of effective field theories (EFTs) according to a distance or inverse-momentum scale. I discuss in these lectures the EFTs that allow us to describe nuclei in the context of the underlying theory of strong interactions, QCD. After an introduction to the general EFT ideas, QED in the non-relativistic regime is used to illustrate the emergence of structure from the breakdown of perturbation theory. EFTs of QCD are then developed for the scales appropriate for typical nuclei (Chiral EFT), light nuclei (Pionless EFT), and nuclei near the driplines (Halo/Cluster EFT). Emphasis is on the conceptual framework, including the power counting and renormalization that underline the connection between QCD and loosely bound nuclei, rather than on the broad phenomenological successes of the various EFTs. The surprising non-perturbative renormalization of pion exchange and shorter-range interactions is highlighted, together with the role of fine-tuning in loosely bound systems.
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