Physics

The collection’s primary function is to support research and teaching programs in the Physics Department. The collection also supports research conducted by graduate students, faculty, and research scientists in the Sloane Physics Laboratory, Wright Laboratory, and the J.W. Gibbs Laboratory, and extends into chemistry, engineering, life sciences, and social sciences.

Departments and Programs

• Department of Physics
• Department of Astronomy
• Wright Laboratory
• Yale Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics (YCAA)
• Department of Geology & Geophysics 

Disciplines

• Astrophysics
• Atomic physics
• Beam physics
• Biophysics
• Experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics
• Experimental and theoretical nuclear physics
• Experimental particle physics
• Gravitational physics
• High-energy theory and cosmology
• Instrumentation
• Quantum electronics
• Quantum information physics (CQuIP)
• Quantum optics 

The departments offer graduate and undergraduate degrees and have active faculty researchers.

Formats and materials acquired generally

Electronic format is preferred for Yale University Library holdings unless otherwise noted.

• Journals
• Monographs (academic and trade press preferred)
• Reference data, handbooks, dictionaries, and other material 

Formats and materials collected selectively or by request

• Audiovisual materials
• Non-reference data (collected in conjunction with the Data Librarian at Marx Science and Social Science Library and other selectors as appropriate; includes online databases and data that may be housed on a local server)
• Microform
• Non-Yale theses and dissertations (gifts evaluated and acquired occasionally)
• Conference proceedings (selectively)
• Textbooks (generally excluded unless by faculty request or selector decision) 

Materials not collected

• Ephemera
• Government documents
• Hardware and software manuals
• Instructor’s materials
• Juvenile works
• Manuscripts
• Pamphlets
• Preprints (non-arXiv)

English-language materials are preferred. Other languages are collected in collaboration with area studies librarians and by patron request.

Current materials are emphasized.

Physics materials are collected from all geographic extents, with a focus on current theory and experiments.

• Data Librarian and Subject Specialists at Marx Science and Social Science Library
• Astronomy Department Collection Faculty Representative
• Department of Area Studies and Humanities Research Support
• Cushing/Whitney Medical Library
• Bass Library