| CCNY Libraries | CUNY+ | Hours | Directions | Quick Links to Selected Resources | Physics |
| Acoustics | General Sites | Optics |
| Article & Full Text Databases | History & Philosophy of Physics | Professional Societies |
| Astronomy | Major Research Centers | Technical Reports |
Acoustics
Go to: AcousticsCampanella Associates Acoustics FAQ
While this site is several years old and has many dead links, the definitions of terms associated with the study of acoustics and vibration are outstanding.
http://www.campanellaacoustics.com/faq.htmFilmSound.org - Art and Analyses of Film Sound Design
Strictly speaking, this web site has little to do with the physics of sound. Nevertheless, it is an outstanding site on the uses of sound within the entertainment industry. The numerous sections of the site contain original articles as well as links to other articles and resources elsewhere on the Internet. Also included is a detailed glossary of sound terms, an introduction to film sound and a separate bibliography. One particularly entertaining section of the site is Film Sound Clichés, which contains a list of common film sound stereotypes and common logic flaws.
http://www.filmsound.org/Noiseboard
Oriented primarily toward scientists and engineers, this site provides news and information about acoustics and vibration.
http://www.noiseboard.com/The Soundry
This site focuses not only on the physical aspects of sound (acoustics), but also on how the human ear perceives sound. Elements of sensory biology and psychology are included on this site as well as physical science.
http://library.thinkquest.org/19537/Vibroacoustics.info
From the site: "This website on acoustics www.vibroacoustics.info has been created as a general resource in acoustics and vibration." Included are links to FAQs, software, research centers, scholarly journals, and professional organizations.
http://www.vibroacoustics.info/
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Article and Full Text Databases
Go to: Article and Full Text DatabasesWith the exception of arXiv.org, these databases are available only to CUNY or in some cases only the CCNY users.
AIP Journals The journals of the American Institute of Physics.
http://www.aip.org/ojs/service.htmlAPS Journals
The journals of the American Physical Society, including the seven sections of Physical Review.
http://ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/login?url=http://publish.aps.org/arXiv.org e-Print archive
An e-print service in the fields of physics, mathematics, non-linear science, computer science, and quantitative biology. Physics papers comprise the majority in this archive. The papers listed have been reviewed but not necessarily published. The arXiv site was originally established to enable physicists to view papers prior to publication.
http://arxiv.org/Optics InfoBase
The journals of the Optical Society of America.
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/Web of Knowledge
Many other online physics journals are available and can be located using the Alphabetical List of Journal Titles Online. Use the pull-down menu to select Physical Sciences and Mathematics, then select the area of physics in which you are interested.
This collection of databases is only available to members of the City College community. The databases include Current Contents Connect, a database of journal tables of contents; INSPEC, a comprehensive database covering all areas of physics, computer science, and electrical engineering; Web of Science, an electronic version of Science Citation Index that indexes articles based on how they cite other articles. Each of these specific databases must be selected from within the Web of Knowledge home page.
http://ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/login?url=http://isiknowledge.com/
http://mh7cb7jt5p.search.serialssolutions.com/
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Astronomy
Go to: AstronomyAssociation of Universities for Research in Astronomy
AURA is a consortium of universities, educational, and research institutions that operates a number of world-class astronomy research centers (http://www.aura-astronomy.org/wwa/oac.asp). They also maintain a very useful list of links to astronomy and space science educational sites (http://www.aura-astronomy.org/wwa/air.asp).
http://www.aura-astronomy.org/AstroWeb
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory has established AstroWeb as a collection of pointers to astronomy-related information available on the internet. The links are grouped into several broad categories of resources, including observation centers (telescopes, etc.), biographical information, articles and preprints, and research areas.
http://www.cv.nrao.edu/fits/www/astronomy.htmlThe Nine Planets
This site provides an overview of the history, mythology, and current scientific knowledge of each planet and the major moons in the solar system.
http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/nineplanets.html
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General Sites
Go to: General SitesEric Weisstein's World of Physics
Eric Weisstein is a self-confessed math and computer nerd who has established several online dictionaries of science. This site is the physics dictionary.
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/physics/How Things Work
From the site: "Think of this site as a radio call-in program that's being held on the WWW instead of the radio." How Things Work is a list of commonly asked questions about various topics in physics. The questions and answers are arranged in chronological order, starting with the most recent. It is also possible to view all questions and answers on a specific topic.
http://howthingswork.virginia.edu/home.htmlInsultingly Stupid Movie Physics
Physics in movies is very different from physics in the real world. This site explains why.
http://www.intuitor.com/moviephysics/Physical Reference Data
Established by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, this site provides a list of most mathematical, physical, and chemical constants and related data.
http://physics.nist.gov/PhysRefData/contents.htmlPhysics Central
This site is targeted toward nonscientists who are interested in physics. It is maintained by the American Physical Society.
http://www.physicscentral.com/PhysLink.com
PhysLink.com is a comprehensive web site for physics and astronomy. The content ranges from material for the hobbyist and secondary school student to material for the professional scientist.
http://www.physlink.com/Index.cfmWorld Year of Physics
The United Nations endorsed 2005 as the World Year of Physics: an international celebration of physics, focusing especially on Albert Einstein's pioneering contributions in 1905. While 2005 has come and gone, many of the sites associated with this celebration are still active and contain valuable links.
http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/library/Divisions/science/wyop.html
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History and Philosophy of Physics
Go to: History and Philosophy of PhysicsCenter for History of Physics
This outstanding history site is run by the American Institute of Physics.
http://www.aip.org/history/A Century of Physics
The Century of Physics Timeline is maintained by the American Physical Society and summarizes the major discoveries in physics since 1890.
http://timeline.aps.org/APS/Contributions of 20th Century Women to Physics
This site provides biographical information on eighty-three twentieth-century women who have made original and important contributions to physics. Each entry includes important contributions and publications, education and honors received, and jobs/positions held. Also available are links to publications by and about the women listed.
http://cwp.library.ucla.edu/David Banach's Philosophy of Science Home Page
David Banach teaches philosophy of science at St. Anselm College. This page is especially strong on physics and mathematics in the ancient world.
http://www.anselm.edu/homepage/dbanach/ph31.htmHistory of Physics and Astronomy
PhysLink's (see entry under General sites above) collection of history sites includes links to archives, museums, and scientists' biographies as well as historical physics and astronomy sites.
http://www.physlink.com/Education/History.cfmMuseo di Fisica (Museum of Physics)
The Museum of Physics is a collection of early scientific instruments maintained by the University of Naples (Italian and English).
http://www.na.infn.it/Museum/museum.htmNational Atomic Museum
For links to more general sites on the history and philosophy of science and technology, point your browser to: http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/library/divisions/science/HPStech.html
The National Atomic Museum is the only Congressionally chartered museum of nuclear science and its history in the United States. It will soon be renamed the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History.
http://www.atomicmuseum.com/
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Major Research Centers
Go to: Major Research CentersCERN - European Organization for Nuclear Research
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is the world's largest particle physics laboratory, and the place where the World Wide Web was born.
http://public.web.cern.ch/Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
DESY is another major European high-energy physics research facility. It is a facility of the Helmholtz Gemeinschaft, Germany's largest scientific research community (mostly in German; some English).
http://www.desy.de/html/home/index.htmlStanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC)
SLAC is one of the world's leading laboratories performing research in high-energy physics and synchrotron radiation.
http://www.slac.stanford.edu/U.S. National Laboratories
The National Laboratories of the United States are under the oversight of The Office of Science of the Department of Energy. Several of better known laboratories are listed below.
http://www.science.doe.gov/Sub/Organization/Map/national_labs_and_userfacilities.htm"Argonne National Laboratory
Established in 1946, Argonne is the first of the U.S. national laboratories to be chartered. Much of their research is in the basic sciences, focusing especially on nuclear science and materials science.
http://www.anl.gov/Brookhaven National Laboratory
Brookhaven was established in 1946 by a consortium of nine major universities under the aegis of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. It was conceived to promote basic research in the physical, chemical, biological, and engineering aspects of the nuclear sciences.
http://www.bnl.gov/Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab)
Fermilab is the largest high-energy particle physics laboratory in the United States and houses some of the world's most powerful particle accelerators.
http://www.fnal.gov/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The Berkeley Lab began in 1931 under the oversight of the University of California. It is now under the oversight of the Department of Energy, but continues to be managed by the University of California.
http://www.lbl.gov/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Functioning under the oversight of the University of California, this national laboratory has a special focus on national security applications of science and technology.
http://www.llnl.gov/Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos is where nuclear weapons were first developed and tested. The facility continues to focus on national security and defense-related applications of nuclear science.
http://www.lanl.gov/Oak Ridge National Laboratory
A broad variety of scientific research is performed at Oak Ridge, focusing primarily on energy production and conservation.
http://www.ornl.gov/
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Optics
Go to: OpticsAtmospheric Optics
This site is devoted to the optical effects of the atmosphere and discusses such phenomena as rainbows, lunar and solar halos, and other effects.
http://www.atoptics.co.uk/Causes of Color
Explores the "fifteen causes of color derived from a variety of physical and chemical mechanisms." Also included is information on physiological and psychological perception of color.
http://webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/New York State Center for Advanced Technology in Photonics Applications (CAT) at CUNY
Photonics and laser spectroscopy are among the most active areas of research on The City College campus. This site describes current research projects and facilities, and includes links to recent publications.
http://www.cunyphotonics.com/Optics.org
Established by the Institute of Physics, Optics.org is a clearing house for information on applied optics and photonics. Included are links to business and technology news, employment opportunities, and company and product directories.
http://optics.orgOpticsNotes.com
The following three web sites are educational pages established by the Optical Society of America. They are each designed for a different audience, as indicated:
This site, describing itself as "an index of optics and photonics tutorials, references, and resources," is primarily concerned with applied optics and photonics. It is divided into seven sections, ranging from Fundamentals (optics theory) to Industry (including trade organizations, directories, career information, etc.) The References section particularly useful, since it lists the important periodicals, databases, book publishers, and the like, together with links to their sites.
http://www.opticsnotes.com/Hands-on Optics
This is a general educational site oriented toward teachers, parents, and students of all ages. It serves primarily as a gateway to other useful educational sites.
http://www.hands-on-optics.org/Optics for Kids
Oriented primarily toward younger children (K-5), this site includes simple experiments, games, and activities for parents and teachers.
http://www.opticsforkids.comOptics for Teens
This site is geared toward middle and secondary school students. In addition to sections on experiments and other educational materials, it includes a career-oriented page with biographies of optics professionals.
http://www.opticsforteens.org
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Professional Societies
Professional societies are organized by scientists and other scholars to promote particular fields of study. Most of the information in these sites is oriented toward the practitioner, but some information is directed toward educating non-scientists.Go to: Professional SocietiesAcoustical Society of America
Founded in 1929, the Acoustical Society of America (ASA) is dedicated to the study of sound and vibration.
http://asa.aip.org/American Association of Physics Teachers
Founded in 1930, the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) was established to promote the dissemination of knowledge of physics through teaching. AAPT publishers journals and sponsors regional and national meetings to further this purpose.
http://www.aapt.org/American Institute of Physics
Founded in 1931, the American Institute of Physics (AIP) is an association of associations concerned with the study of physics in the United States.
http://www.aip.org/American Physical Society
Founded in 1899, the American Physical Society (APS) exists to promote the study of physics in the United States and internationally. The APS sponsors numerous scientific conferences and is a major publisher of physics journals.
http://www.aps.org/European Physical Society
The European Physical Society (EPS) was created in 1968 as an umbrella organization of European national physical societies. It publishes a number of journals and provides contact information and links to home pages for the national member societies.
http://www.eps.org/Institute of Physics
Based in the UK, the Institute of Physics (IOP) is an international scientific organization. In addition to publishing a number of major physics journals, IOP sponsors more than a dozen web sites providing news and information on physics around the world. Two of the more important of these sites are physics.org ( http://www.iop.org/International Society for Optical Engineering
Founded in 1955 as the Society of Photographic Instrumentation Engineers, the Society has gone through several name changes. It is currently one of the world's premier societies for photonics and applied optics, and publishes several of the more important journals and conference proceedings.
http://www.spie.org/International Union of Pure and Applied Physics
The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) was founded in 1922 to promote international cooperation and scientific exchange in physics. It does so through conferences and the setting of international standards.
http://www.iupap.org/Optical Society of America
From their web site, "OSA promotes the generation, application, archiving, and worldwide dissemination of knowledge in optics and photonics."
http://www.osa.org/Society of Rheology
Established in 1929, the Society of Rheology is dedicated to the study of the deformation and flow of matter.
http://www.rheology.org/
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Technical Reports
The sites listed below are the major servers for physics technical reports. The technical report literature is a major source of unpublished information. This list is not exhaustive.Go to: Technical ReportsCentre for Mathematical Physics and Stochastics - Publications
This page from the Centre for Mathematical Physics and Stochastics at the University of Aarhus provides access to publications from the Centre, including research reports from 1998 to the present, lecture notes, mini-proceedings, and a newsletter. Abstracts and full text (primarily as PDF or PostScript files) are provided for most of the reports.
http://www.maphysto.dk/publications2/index_static.htmlCERN Document Server
This database, presented by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, includes more than 800,000 records (including over 360,000 full text documents) of published and pre-published literature in particle physics and its related disciplines. The documents include published articles, preprints, theses, technical reports, books, journals, and CERN internal notes and committee documents. Users may conduct a simple or advanced search of the database or simply browse the collection. Most of the full-text preprints are available through the arXiv.org e-Print archive.
http://cds.cern.ch/Cornell Laboratory of Nuclear Studies Reports Index
The Cornell Laboratory of Nuclear Studies (CLNS) hosts a preprint server of documents dating back to 1986. The more recent documents are available in PostScript format from this server, with many also available through the arXiv.org e-Print archive and Stanford University SPIRES server. CLNS provides a search engine on the main page that allows for author and title queries.
http://www.lns.cornell.edu/public/CLNS/CLNS.htmlInstitute for Fusion Studies Reports
The reports server for the Institute for Fusion Studies at the University of Texas at Austin provides access to an extensive bibliography of Institute reports, document abstracts, and the full text of the documents, primarily as PDF files. Reports on the server are updated frequently, and are classified by date of publication.
http://w3fusion.ph.utexas.edu/ifs/reports.htmlNASA Technical Reports Server
The NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) lets site visitors search or browse unclassified and publicly available NASA published documents, including meeting presentations, journal articles, conference proceedings, and technical reports. The documents, which date back to 1960, are available in compressed PostScript and PDF formats.
http://ntrs.nasa.gov/Plasma Science and Fusion Center - Preprints & Research Reports
The MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center (PSFC) provides access to its preprint articles and research reports from 1978 to the present at this site. Abstracts and full text for most documents are available as PDF files.
http://www.psfc.mit.edu/library/preprints.htmlPreprints at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY)
The Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) laboratory in Hamburg, Germany hosts a preprint server that provides access to preprint articles, technical reports, and theses. A search engine is available to assist users in locating preprint documents, which are added on a weekly basis. A complement of links to other web sites, such as CERN and LANL which host similar data, is readily available.
http://www-library.desy.de/preprints.htmlPrinceton Plasma Physics Laboratory Reports
The reports server for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The documents include preprints, technical reports, and dissertations.
http://www.pppl.gov/pub_report/
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Loren Mendelsohn
Chief, Science & Engineering Library
The City College Libraries
The City College of New York
160 Convent Avenue
New York, NY 10031
lmend@ccny.cuny.edu
April 21, 2006
| CCNY Libraries | CUNY+ | Hours | Directions | Quick Links to Selected Resources | Physics |