Dynamical and thermal characterizations of excited nuclear systems produced during the collisions between two heavy ions at intermediate incident energies is 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 radiations (gamma rays and neutrons) has provided relevant information about the space-time properties of nuclear reactions. The volume, lifetime, density and the 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 coincident light particles and complex fragments are also presented as a tool to determine the internal thermal excitation energy of excited primary fragments originating secondary decay phenomena