This is a list of important publications in
physics, organized by field.
Some reasons why a particular publication
might be regarded as important:
Topic creator – A publication that created
a new topic
Breakthrough – A publication that changed
scientific knowledge significantly
Influence – A publication which has significantly
influenced the world or has had a massive
impact on the teaching of physics.
== Applied physics ==
=== 
Accelerator physics ===
Ising, G. (1924). "Prinzip einer Methode zur
Herstellung von Kanalstrahlen hoher Voltzahl".
Arkiv för matematik, astronomi och fysik
(in German). 18 (30): 1–4.The Swedish physicist
Gustav Ising was the first one to publish
the basic concept of a linear accelerator
(in this case, as part of a cathode ray tube).Widerøe,
R. (1928). "Über ein neues Prinzip zur Herstellung
hoher Spannungen". Archiv für Elektrotechnik
(in German). 21 (4): 387–406. doi:10.1007/BF01656341.The
Norwegian physicist Rolf Widerøe took Ising's
idea and expanded it. Later, he built the
first operational linear accelerator.Kerst,
D. W. (1941). "The Acceleration of Electrons
by Magnetic Induction" (PDF). Physical Review.
60 (1): 47–53. Bibcode:1941PhRv...60...47K.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.60.47.
Kerst, D. W.; Serber, R. (1941). "Electronic
Orbits in the Induction Accelerator". Physical
Review. 60 (1): 53–58. Bibcode:1941PhRv...60...53K.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.60.53.These two articles
describe the betatron concept and the first
experimental data of a working betatron, built
by Donald William Kerst.Courant, E. D.; Livingston,
M. S.; Snyder, H. S. (1952). "The Strong-Focusing
Synchrotron—A New High Energy Accelerator".
Physical Review. 88 (5): 1190–1196. Bibcode:1952PhRv...88.1190C.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.88.1190. hdl:2027/mdp.39015086454124.
Courant, E. D.; Snyder, H. S. (1958). "Theory
of the alternating-gradient synchrotron" (PDF).
Annals of Physics. 3 (1): 1–48. Bibcode:2000AnPhy.281..360C.
doi:10.1006/aphy.2000.6012.These publications
were the first to introduce the idea of strong
focusing to particle beams, enabling the transition
from compact circular accelerator concepts
to separate-function magnet devices like synchrotrons,
storage rings and particle colliders.
=== Biophysics ===
Schrödinger, E. W. (1944). What Is Life?
The Physical Aspect of the Living Cell. Cambridge
University Press. ISBN 0-521-42708-8.
Turing, A. M. (1952). "The Chemical Basis
of Morphogenesis". Philosophical Transactions
of the Royal Society of London B. 237 (641):
37–72. doi:10.1098/rstb.1952.0012.
Perutz, M. F. (1978). "Electrostatic effects
in proteins". Science. 201 (4362): 1187–1191.
Bibcode:1978Sci...201.1187P. doi:10.1126/science.694508.
PMID 694508.
Cantor, C. R.; Schimmel, P. R. (1980). Biophysical
Chemistry. Vols. 1–3. W. H. Freeman. ISBN
0-7167-1188-5 (Vol. 1), ISBN 0-7167-1190-7
(Vol. 2), ISBN 0-7167-1192-3 (Vol. 3)
Tributsch, H. (1982). How Life Learned to
Live: Adaptation in Nature. MIT Press. ISBN
978-0-262-20045-5.
Glaser, R. (2001). Biophysics (5th Revised
ed.). Springer. ISBN 978-3-540-67088-9.
Cotterill, R. M. J. (2002). Biophysics: An
Introduction. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-48538-4.
Nelson, P. C. (2007). Biological Physics (Updated
ed.). W. H. Freeman. ISBN 978-0-7167-9897-2.
==== Cell ====
Phillips, R.; Kondev, J.; Theriot, J. (2008).
Physical Biology of the Cell. Garland Science.
ISBN 978-0-8153-4163-5.
==== Mathematical ====
Rashevsky, N. (1960). Mathematical Biophysics,
Volume 1 (3rd ed.). Dover Publications. ISBN
978-0-486-60574-6.
Rashevsky, N. (1960). Mathematical Biophysics,
Volume 2 (3rd ed.). Dover Publications. ISBN
978-0-486-60575-3.
==== Medical ====
Ruch, T. C.; Fulton, J. F. (1974). Medical
Physiology and Biophysics. Saunders. ISBN
978-0-7216-7818-4.
Haacke, E. M.; Brown, R. W.; Thompson, M.
R.; Venkatesan, R. (1999). Magnetic Resonance
Imaging: Physical Principles and Sequence
Design. Wiley–Liss. ISBN 978-0-471-35128-3.An
influential graduate textbook in MRI by some
of the principal advancers of the field.Hobbie,
R. K.; Roth, B. J. (2006). Intermediate Physics
for Medicine and Biology (4th ed.). Springer.
ISBN 978-0-387-30942-2.
==== Molecular ====
Perutz, M. F. (1962). Proteins and Nucleic
Acids. Elsevier.
Perutz, M. F. (1969). "The haemoglobin molecule".
Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 173 (31):
113–40. Bibcode:1969RSPSB.173..113P. doi:10.1098/rspb.1969.0043.
PMID 4389425.
Sneppen, K.; Zocchi, G. (2005). Physics in
Molecular Biology. Cambridge University Press.
ISBN 978-0-521-84419-2.
==== Neurophysics ====
Hodgkin, A. L. (1952). "A quantitative description
of membrane current and its application to
conduction and excitation in nerve". The Journal
of Physiology. 117 (4): 500–44. doi:10.1113/jphysiol.1952.sp004764.
PMC 1392413. PMID 12991237.
Hodgkin, A. L. (1964). The conduction of the
nervous impulse. Liverpool University Press.
ISBN 978-0853230618.
==== Plant ====
Govindjee (1975). Bioenergetics of Photosynthesis.
Academic Press. ISBN 978-0-12-294350-8.
=== Geophysics ===
Gilbert, W. (1600). De Magnete, Magneticisque
Corporibus, et de Magno Magnete Tellure [On
the Magnet and Magnetic Bodies, and on That
Great Magnet the Earth] (in Latin). Peter
Short.English translation: Gilbert, W. (1991).
De Magnete. Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-26761-6.
Republication of the 1893 unabridged and unaltered
translation by Paul Fleury Mottelay.Early
description of magnetism from an Elizabethan
scientist consisting of six books. Erroneously
attributes magnetism as causing the motion
of bodies in the Solar system.Chapman, S.;
Bartels, J. (1940). Geomagnetism Volume 1:
Geomagnetic and Related Phenomena. Clarendon
Press. ASIN B002K07MAO. OCLC 499431969.
Chapman, S.; Bartels, J. (1940). Geomagnetism
Volume 2: Analysis of the Data and Physical
Theories. Clarendon Press. ASIN B0020TCMR8.
OCLC 458641769.A classic reference on the
Earth's magnetic field and related topics
in meteorology, solar and lunar physics, the
aurora, techniques of spherical harmonic analysis
and treatment of periodicities in geophysical
data. Its comprehensive summaries made it
the standard reference on geomagnetism and
the ionosphere for at least 2 decades.Yilmaz,
Ö. (1999). Seismic data processing (9th ed.).
Society of Exploration Geophysicists. ISBN
978-0-931830-40-2.Up to date account of seismic
data processing in the petroleum geophysics
industry.
=== Physics of computation ===
Feynman, R. P. (1982). "Simulating physics
with computers". International Journal of
Theoretical Physics. 21 (6–7): 467&ndash,
488. Bibcode:1982IJTP...21..467F. CiteSeerX
10.1.1.45.9310. doi:10.1007/BF02650179.Develops
theory of a digital computer as an efficient
universal computing device.Lloyd, S. (2000).
"Ultimate physical limits of computation".
Nature. 406 (6799): 1047–1054. arXiv:quant-ph/9908043.
Bibcode:2000Natur.406.1047L. doi:10.1038/35023282.
PMID 10984064.
=== Plasma physics ===
Langmuir, I. (1961). The Collected Works of
Irving Langmuir Volume 3: Thermionic Phenomena:
Papers from 1916–1937. Pergamon Press.
Langmuir, I. (1961). The Collected Works of
Irving Langmuir Volume 4: Electrical Discharges:
Papers from 1923–1931. Pergamon Press.These
two volumes from Nobel Prize winning scientist
Irving Langmuir, include his early published
papers resulting from his experiments with
ionized gases (i.e. plasma). The books summarise
many of the basic properties of plasmas. Langmuir
coined the word plasma in about 1928.Alfvén,
H.; Fälthammar, C.-G. (1963). Cosmical Electrodynamics.
Oxford University Press.Hannes Alfvén won
the Nobel Prize for his development of magnetohydrodynamics
(MHD) the science that models plasma as fluids.
This book lays down the ground work, but also
shows that MHD may be inadequate for low-density
plasmas such as space plasmas.
== Astronomy and astrophysics ==
Kopernik, Mikolaj (1543). De revolutionibus
orbium coelestium [On the Revolutions of the
Heavenly Spheres] (in Latin). Nuremberg: Johannes
Petreius. p. 405.Favoured the heliocentric
model (first advanced by Aristarchus) over
the Ptolemaic model of the solar system; sometimes
credited with starting the Scientific Revolution
in the Western world.Kepler, Johannes (1609).
Astronomia nova [New Astronomy] (in Latin).
(Available online). Prague.— (1992). New
Astronomy. Translated by William H. Donahue.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN
978-0-521-30131-2.
Provided strong arguments for heliocentrism
and contributed valuable insight into the
movement of the planets, including the first
mention of their elliptical path and the change
of their movement to the movement of free
floating bodies as opposed to objects on rotating
spheres (two of Kepler's laws). One of the
most important works of the Scientific Revolution.Kepler,
Johannes (1619). Harmonices Mundi [Harmony
of the World] (in Latin). (Available online).—
(1997). The harmony of the world. Translated
into English with an introduction and notes
by E. J. Aiton, A. M. Duncan and J. V. Field.
Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society.
ISBN 978-0-87169-209-2.
Developed the third of Kepler's laws.
=== Astrophysics ===
Astrophysics employs physical principles "to
ascertain the nature of the heavenly bodies,
rather than their positions or motions in
space."
Burbidge, E. M.; Burbidge,, G. R.; Fowler,
F.; Hoyle, F. (1957). "Synthesis of the Elements
in Stars". Reviews of Modern Physics. 29 (4):
547–650. Bibcode:1957RvMP...29..547B. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.29.547.A
landmark article of stellar physics, analysing
several key processes that might be responsible
for the synthesis of chemical elements in
nature and their relative abundances; it is
credited with originating what is now the
theory of stellar nucleosynthesis.Faber, Sandra
M.; Jackson, Robert (1976). "Velocity dispersions
and mass-to-light ratios for elliptical galaxies".
Astrophysical Journal. 204 (6): 668. Bibcode:1976ApJ...204..668F.
doi:10.1086/154215.Introduction of the Faber–Jackson
law relating galaxy luminosity and velocity
dispersion.Tully, R. B; Fisher, J. R. (1977).
"A new method of determining distances to
galaxies". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 54
(3): 661&ndash, 673. Bibcode:1977A&A....54..661T.Introduction
of the Tully–Fisher relation between galaxy
luminosity and rotation-curve amplitude.Ferrarese,
Laura; Merritt, David (2000). "A fundamental
relation between supermassive black holes
and their host galaxies". Astrophysical Journal
Letters. 539 (1): L9&ndash, L12. arXiv:astro-ph/0006053.
Bibcode:2000ApJ...539L...9F. doi:10.1086/312838.Introduction
of the M-sigma relation between black hole
mass and galaxy velocity dispersion.
=== Cosmology ===
Sakharov, A. D. (1967). "Violation of CP invariance,
C asymmetry, and baryon asymmetry of the universe".
Journal of Experimental and Theoretical Physics.
5 (5): 24–27. Bibcode:1991SvPhU..34..392S.
doi:10.1070/PU1991v034n05ABEH002497.Introduced
the conditions necessary for baryogenesis,
by making use of recent results (discovery
of CP violation, etc). Republished in 1991
in Soviet Physics Uspekhi, vol.34 (number
5), pages 392-393.Kolb, Edward; Turner, Michael
(1988). The Early Universe. Addison–Wesley.
ISBN 978-0-201-11604-5.Reference textbook
on cosmology, discussing both observational
and theoretical issues.J. C. Mather; E. S.
Cheng; R.E. Eplee, Jr.; R. B. Isaacman; S.
S. Meyer; R. A. Shafer; R. Weiss; E. L. Wright;
C. L. Bennett; N. W. Boggess; E. Dwek; S.
Gulkis; M. G. Hauser; M. Janssen; T. Kelsall;
P. M. Lubin; S. H. Moseley, Jr.; T. L. Murdock;
R. F. Silverberg; G. F. Smoot; D. T. Wilkinson
(1990). "A Preliminary Measurement of the
Cosmic Microwave Background Spectrum by the
Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) Satellite".
The Astrophysical Journal. 354: L37–40.
Bibcode:1990ApJ...354L..37M. doi:10.1086/185717.
Mather, J. C.; Fixsen, D. J.; Shafer, R. A.;
Mosier, C.; Wilkinson, D. T. (20 February
1999). "Calibrator Design for the Far-Infrared
Absolute Spectrophotometer (FIRAS)". The Astrophysical
Journal. 512 (2): 511–520. arXiv:astro-ph/9810373.
Bibcode:1999ApJ...512..511M. doi:10.1086/306805.Reported
results from the COBE satellite, which was
developed by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
to measure the diffuse infrared and microwave
radiation from the early universe to the limits
set by our astrophysical environment. Measurements
by a Far Infrared Absolute Spectrophotometer
(FIRAS) confirmed that the cosmic microwave
background (CMB) spectrum is that of a nearly
perfect black body with a temperature of 2.725
± 0.002 K. This observation matches the predictions
of the hot Big Bang theory extraordinarily
well, and indicates that nearly all of the
radiant energy of the Universe was released
within the first year after the Big Bang.
The first paper presents initial results;
the second, final results.G. F. Smoot; et
al. (1992). "Structure in the COBE differential
microwave radiometer first-year maps". The
Astrophysical Journal. 396: L1–5. Bibcode:1992ApJ...396L...1S.
doi:10.1086/186504.
Bennett, C. L.; Banday, A. J.; Górski, K.
M.; Hinshaw, G.; Jackson, P.; Keegstra, P.;
Kogut, A.; Smoot, G. F.; Wilkinson, D. T.;
Wright, E. L. (1996). "Four-Year COBE DMR
Cosmic Microwave Background Observations:
Maps and Basic Results". The Astrophysical
Journal. 464 (1): L1–L4. arXiv:astro-ph/9601067.
Bibcode:1996ApJ...464L...1B. doi:10.1086/310075.Presents
results from the Differential Microwave Radiometer
(DMR) on the COBE satellite. This maps the
cosmic radiation and searches for variations
in brightness. The CMB was found to have intrinsic
"anisotropy" for the first time, at a level
of a part in 100,000. These tiny variations
in the intensity of the CMB over the sky show
how matter and energy was distributed when
the Universe was still very young. Later,
through a process still poorly understood,
the early structures seen by DMR developed
into galaxies, galaxy clusters, and the large
scale structure that we see in the Universe
today. The first paper presents initial results;
the second, final results.Hauser; et al. (1998).
"The COBE Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment
Search for the Cosmic Infrared Background.
I. Limits and Detections" (PDF). The Astrophysical
Journal. 508 (1): 25–43. arXiv:astro-ph/9806167.
Bibcode:1998ApJ...508...25H. doi:10.1086/306379.Presents
results from the Diffuse Infrared Background
Experiment (DIRBE) on the COBE satellite.
This searches for the cosmic infrared background
radiation produced by the first galaxies.
Infrared absolute sky brightness maps in the
wavelength range 1.25 to 240 micrometres were
obtained to carry out a search for the cosmic
infrared background (CIB). The CIB was originally
detected in 
the two longest DIRBE wavelength bands, 140
and 240 micrometres, and in the short-wavelength
end of the FIRAS spectrum. Subsequent analyses
have yielded detections of the CIB in the
near-infrared DIRBE sky maps. The CIB represents
a "core sample" of the Universe; it contains
the cumulative emissions of stars and galaxies
dating back to the epoch when these objects
first began to form.
== Atomic and molecular physics ==
Van der Waals, Johannes Diderik (1873). Over
de Continuiteit van den Gas- en Vloeistoftoestand
[On the continuity of the gas and liquid state]
(PDF) (in Dutch). Leiden: A.W. Sijthoff. ISBN
978-0-486-49593-4.James Clerk Maxwell reviewed
this work in Nature and concluded that "there
can be no doubt that the name of Van der Waals
will soon be among the foremost in molecular
science." Johannes Diderik van der Waals received
the Nobel Prize in 1910 for his work on the
equation of state for gases and liquids.Röntgen,
W.C. (28 December 1895). "Über eine neue
Art von Strahlen" [On A New Kind Of Rays].
Sitzungsberichte der Würzburger Physik-medic.
Gesellschaft (in German). 22 (3): 153–157.
doi:10.3322/canjclin.22.3.153. Archived from
the original on 5 November 2010. Retrieved
24 Aug 2013.Discovery of X-rays, leading to
the very first Nobel Prize in Physics for
the author.Thomson, J.J. (1897). "Cathode
rays". Philosophical Magazine. 44 (269): 293–316.
doi:10.1080/14786449708621070.The classic
experimental measurement of the mass and charge
of cathode ray "corpuscles", later called
electrons. Won the Nobel Physics Prize (in
1906) for this discovery.Zeeman (1897) papers
Zeeman, P. (1897). "On the influence of Magnetism
on the Nature of the Light emitted by a Substance".
Phil. Mag. 43: 226.
Zeeman, P. (1897). "Doubles and triplets in
the spectrum produced by external magnetic
forces". Phil. Mag. 44 (266): 55–60. doi:10.1080/14786449708621028.
Zeeman, P. (11 February 1897). "The Effect
of Magnetisation on the Nature of Light Emitted
by a Substance". Nature. 55 (1424): 347. Bibcode:1897Natur..55..347Z.
doi:10.1038/055347a0.Described the famous
effect of splitting of spectral lines in magnetic
fields; earned author a Nobel Physics prize
citation (1902).Planck, Max (1901).See quantum
mechanics section.Einstein, Albert (1905).See
quantum mechanics section.Bohr, Niels (1913-4).See
quantum mechanics section.H. G. J. Moseley;
M. A. (1913). "The High Frequency Spectra
of the Elements". Phil. Mag. 26 (156): 1024–1034.
doi:10.1080/14786441308635052. Archived from
the original on 2013-07-10. Retrieved 2013-08-24.This
announced a law that gave decisive evidence
for atomic number from studies of X-ray spectra,
which could be explained by the Bohr model.Stark,
J. (1914). "Beobachtungen über den Effekt
des elektrischen Feldes auf Spektrallinien
I. Quereffekt" [Observations of the effect
of the electric field on spectral lines I.
Transverse effect]. Annalen der Physik (in
German). 43 (7): 965–983. Bibcode:1914AnP...348..965S.
doi:10.1002/andp.19143480702. Published earlier
(1913) in Sitzungsberichten der Kgl. Preuss.
Akad. d. Wiss.Described the famous effect
of splitting of spectral lines in electric
fields (c.f. Zeeman effect) as predicted by
Voigt. Observed the same year (1913) as Lo
Surdo; the work won a Nobel Physics prize
for Stark.Einstein, A. (1916). "Strahlungs-Emission
und -Absorption nach der Quantentheorie" [Radiation
Emission and Absorption according to the Quantum
theory]. Verhandlungen der Deutschen Physikalischen
Gesellschaft (in German). 18: 318–323. Bibcode:1916DPhyG..18..318E.——
(1916). "Zur Quantentheorie der Strahlung"
[On the Quantum Theory of Radiation]. Mitteilungen
der Physikalischen Gessellschaft Zürich (in
German). 18: 47–62.
—— (1917). "Zur Quantentheorie der Strahlung"
[On the Quantum Theory of Radiation]. Physikalische
Zeitschrift (in German). 18: 121–128. Bibcode:1917PhyZ...18..121E.Translated
in ter Haar, D. (1967). The Old Quantum Theory.
Pergamon. pp. 167–183. LCCN 66029628. Also
in Boorse, H.A., Motz, L. (1966). The world
of the atom, edited with commentaries, Basic
Books, Inc., New York, pp. 888–901.Formulated
the concepts of spontaneous and stimulated
emission.Arnold Sommerfeld (1919).See quantum
mechanics section.Auger, P.V. (1923). "Sur
les rayons β secondaires produits dans un
gaz par des rayons X" [On the secondary β-rays
produced in a gas by X-rays]. C. R. Acad.
Sci. 177: 169–171.Description on an atomic
ionization effect first discovered by Meitner,
but named for the later discoverer, Auger.de
Broglie, Louis (1924).See quantum mechanics
section.Matrix mechanics papers: W. Heisenberg
(1925), M. Born and P. Jordan (1925), M. Born,
W. Heisenberg, and P. Jordan (1926).See quantum
mechanics section.Schroedinger, E (1926).See
quantum mechanics section.Raman, C. V. (1928).
"A new radiation". Indian J. Phys. 2: 387–398.
hdl:10821/377.Relates the experimental discovery
of the inelastic scattering of light (predicted
theoretically by A. Smekal in 1923) in liquids
(with K. S. Krishnan), for which Raman receives
the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930. Observed
independently soon after (in crystals) by
G. Landsberg and L. I. Mandelstam.
== Classical mechanics ==
Classical mechanics is the system of physics
begun by Isaac Newton and his contemporaries.
It is concerned with the motion of macroscopic
objects at speeds well below the speed of
light.
Galilei, Galileo (1638). Discorsi e dimostrazioni
matematiche, intorno à due nuove scienze
attenenti alla mecanica & i movimenti locali
[Two New Sciences] (in Latin). Leiden: Louis
Elsevier.Classic (first and original) English
translation: — (1914). Mathematical discourses
and demonstrations, relating to Two New Sciences.
Translation by Henry Crew and Alfonso de Salvio.
Recent English translation: — (1974). Two
New sciences, including Centers of gravity
& Force of percussion. Translated and compiled
by Stillman Drake. Madison: Wisconsin University
Press. ISBN 978-0-299-06404-4.Descartes, René
(1983) [1644, with additional material from
the French translation of 1647]. Principia
philosophiae [Principles of Philosophy] (in
Latin). Translation with explanatory notes
by Valentine Rodger Miller and Reese P. Miller
(Reprint ed.). Dordrecht: Reidel. ISBN 978-90-277-1451-0.
Newton, Isaac (1687). Philosophiae Naturalis
Principia Mathematica [Mathematical principles
of natural philosophy] (in Latin).A three-volume
work, often called Principia or Principia
Mathematica. One of the most influential scientific
books ever published, it contains the statement
of Newton's laws of motion forming the foundation
of classical mechanics as well as his law
of universal gravitation. He derives Kepler's
laws for the motion of the planets (which
were first obtained empirically).Lagrange,
Joseph Louis (1788). Mécanique Analytique
[Analytical mechanics] (in French).Lagrange's
masterpiece on mechanics and hydrodynamics.
Based largely on the calculus of variations,
this work introduced Lagrangian mechanics
including the notion of virtual work, generalized
coordinates, and the Lagrangian. Lagrange
also further developed the principle of least
action and introduced the Lagrangian reference
frame for fluid flow.Hamilton's papers.
Hamilton, William Rowan (1835). "On the Application
to Dynamics of a General Mathematical Method
previously applied to Optics" (PDF). British
Association Report 1834, Published 1835: 513–518.
Retrieved 14 Dec 2012.
— (1835). "On a General Method in Dynamics;
by which the Study of the Motions of all free
Systems of attracting or repelling Points
is reduced to the Search and Differentiation
of one central Relation, or characteristic
Function" (PDF). Philosophical Transactions
of the Royal Society. 124: 247–308. doi:10.1098/rstl.1834.0017.
Retrieved 14 Dec 2012.
— (1835). "Second Essay on a General Method
in Dynamics" (PDF). Philosophical Transactions
of the Royal Society. 125: 95–144. doi:10.1098/rstl.1835.0009.
Retrieved 14 Dec 2012.These three papers used
Hamilton's methods in optics to formulate
mechanics anew; now called Hamiltonian mechanics.Noether,
Emmy (1918).See mathematical physics section.Kolmogorov-Arnol'd-Moser
papers.
Kolmogorov, A. N. "On Conservation of Conditionally
Periodic Motions for a Small Change in Hamilton's
Function." Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 98, 527-530,
1954.
Moser, J. "On Invariant Curves of Area-Preserving
Mappings of an Annulus." Nachr. Akad. Wiss.
Göttingen Math.-Phys. Kl. II, 1-20, 1962.
Arnol'd, V. I. "Proof of a Theorem of A. N.
Kolmogorov on the Preservation of Conditionally
Periodic Motions under a Small Perturbation
of the Hamiltonian." Uspekhi Mat. Nauk 18,
13-40, 1963.Set of important results in dynamical
systems theory of Hamiltonian systems, named
the KAM theorem after the authors' initials.
Regarded in retrospect as a sign of chaos
theory.Goldstein, Herbert. Classical Mechanics.A
standard graduate textbook on classical mechanics,
considered a good book on the subject.
=== Fluid dynamics ===
Archimedes (ca. 250 BCE). "On Floating Bodies"
(in ancient Greek, later tr. medieval Latin).
Syracuse, Sicily. Partial preservation.Two-book
treatise regarded as the founding text of
fluid mechanics and hydrostatics in particular.
Contains an introduction of his famous principle.Daniel
Bernoulli (1738). Hydrodynamica, sive de viribus
et motibus fluidorum commentarii (in Latin).
Strasbourg. English translation: Hydrodynamics
and Hydraulics by Daniel Bernoulli and Johann
Bernoulli (Dover Publications, 1968).Established
a unified approach to hydrostatics and hydraulics;
study of efflux; Bernoulli's Principle.Jean
le Rond D'Alembert (1752). Essai d'une nouvelle
théorie de la résistance des fluides (in
French) [Essay of a new theory of resistance
of fluids]. Paris.Introduces D'Alembert's
Paradox.Euler, Leonhard (1757). "Principes
généraux du mouvement des fluides" [General
principles of fluid motion]. Mémoires de
l'Académie des Sciences de Berlin. 11: 274&ndash,
315. (Presented in 1755)Formulates the theory
of fluid dynamics in terms of a set of partial
differential equations: Euler equations (fluid
dynamics)Navier, Claude Louis (1827). "Mémoire
sur les lois du mouvement des fluides". Mémoires
de l'Académie des Sciences de l'Institut
de France. 6: 389&ndash, 440. (Presented in
1822)First formulation of the Navier–Stokes
equations, albeit based on an incorrect molecular
theory.Stokes, George Gabriel (1849). "On
the theory of the internal friction of fluids
in motion, and of the equilibrium and motion
of elastic solids". Transactions of the Cambridge
Philosophical Society. 8: 287. (Presented
in 1845)Correct formulation of the Navier–Stokes
equations.von Helmholtz, Hermann (1858). "Über
integrale der hydrodynamischen gleichungen,
welche den wirbelbewegungen entsprechen".
Journal für die Reine und Angewandte Mathematik.
55 (55): 25&ndash, 55. doi:10.1515/crll.1858.55.25.Introduced
the study of vortex dynamics (see Vorticity).Reynolds,
Osbourne (1883). "An experimental investigation
of the circumstances which determine whether
the motion of water shall be direct or sinuous,
and of the law of resistance in parallel channels".
Philosophical Transactions. 174: 935&ndash,
982. Bibcode:1883RSPT..174..935R. doi:10.1098/rstl.1883.0029.Introduces
the dimensionless Reynolds number, investigating
the critical Reynolds number for transition
from laminar to turbulent flow.Prandtl, Ludwig
(1905). "Über Flüssigkeitsbewegung bei sehr
kleiner Reibung". Verhandlungen des Dritten
Internationalen Mathematiker-Kongresses in
Heidelberg 1904: 484–491. (Presented in
1904)Introduces the Boundary layer.Kolmogorov,
Andrey Nikolaevich (1941). "The Local Structure
of Turbulence in Incompressible Viscous Fluid
for Very Large Reynolds Numbers" Локальная
структура турбулентности
в несжимаемой жидкости
при очень больших числах
Рейнольдса. Doklady Akademii Nauk
SSSR (in Russian). 30 (1890): 299–303. Bibcode:1991RSPSA.434....9K.
doi:10.1098/rspa.1991.0075.. Translated into
English by Kolmogorov, Andrey Nikolaevich
(July 8, 1991). "The local structure of turbulence
in incompressible viscous fluid for very large
Reynolds numbers". Proceedings of the Royal
Society A. 434 (1991): 9–13. Bibcode:1991RSPSA.434....9K.
doi:10.1098/rspa.1991.0075.Introduces a quantitative
theory of turbulence.
== Computational physics ==
S. Ulam, R. D. Richtmyer, and J. von Neumann
(1947). "Statistical methods in neutron diffusion";
LANL Scientific Laboratory report LAMS–551.
Retrieved 2011-10-23.This paper records the
first use of the Monte Carlo method, created
at Los Alamos.Metropolis, N.; et al. (1953)See
statistical mechanics and thermodynamics section
.Fermi, E.; Pasta, J.; Ulam, S. (1955) : "Studies
of Nonlinear Problems" (accessed 25 Sep 2012).
Los Alamos Laboratory Document LA-1940.The
Fermi-Ulam-Pasta-Tsingou simulation was an
important early demonstration of the ability
of computers to deal with nonlinear (physics)
problems and its surprising result regarding
thermal equipartition hinted towards chaos
theory.Molecular dynamics.
Alder, B. J.; T. E. Wainwright (1959). "Studies
in Molecular Dynamics. I. General Method".
J. Chem. Phys. 31 (2): 459. Bibcode:1959JChPh..31..459A.
doi:10.1063/1.1730376.
A. Rahman (1964). "Correlations in the Motion
of Atoms in Liquid Argon". Phys Rev. 136 (2A):
A405–A411. Bibcode:1964PhRv..136..405R.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.136.A405.Independent formulations
of the method of molecular dynamics.
== Condensed matter physics ==
Condensed matter physics deals with the physical
properties of condensed phases of matter.
These properties appear when atoms interact
strongly and adhere to each other or are otherwise
concentrated.
Kamerlingh Onnes, H., "Further experiments
with liquid helium. C. On the change of electric
resistance of pure metals at very low temperatures,
etc. IV. The resistance of pure mercury at
helium temperatures." Comm. Phys. Lab. Univ.
Leiden; No. 120b, 1911.
Kamerlingh Onnes, H., "Further experiments
with liquid helium. D. On the change of electric
resistance of pure metals at very low temperatures,
etc. V. The disappearance of the resistance
of mercury." Comm. Phys. Lab. Univ. Leiden;
No. 122b, 1911.
Kamerlingh Onnes, H., "Further experiments
with liquid helium. G. On the electrical resistance
of pure metals, etc. VI. On the sudden change
in the rate at which the resistance of mercury
disappears." Comm. Phys. Lab. Univ. Leiden;
No. 124c, 1911.Series of articles about superconductivity.Sommerfeld,
Arnold; Bethe, Hans (1933). Elektronentheorie
der Metalle. Berlin Heidelberg: Springer Verlag.
ISBN 978-3642950025.
J. Bardeen, L. N. Cooper, and J. R. Schrieffer
papers
Cooper, L. N. (1956). "Bound Electron Pairs
in a Degenerate Fermi Gas". Physical Review.
104 (4): 1189&ndash, 1190. Bibcode:1956PhRv..104.1189C.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.104.1189.
Bardeen, J.; Cooper, L. N.; Schrieffer, J.
R. (1957). "Microscopic Theory of Superconductivity".
Physical Review. 106 (1): 162&ndash, 164.
Bibcode:1957PhRv..106..162B. doi:10.1103/PhysRev.106.162.
Bardeen, J.; Cooper, L. N.; Schrieffer, J.
R. (1957). "Theory of Superconductivity".
Physical Review. 108 (5): 1175–1204. Bibcode:1957PhRv..108.1175B.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.108.1175.These three papers
develop the BCS theory of usual (not high
TC) superconductivity, relating the interaction
of electrons and the phonons of a lattice.
The authors were awarded the Nobel prize for
this work.Ashcroft, Neil W.; Mermin, N. David
(1976). Solid State Physics. Brooks Cole.
ISBN 978-0-03-083993-1.
=== Polymer physics ===
Guth, Eugen; Hermann, Mark (1934). "Zur innermolekularen,
Statistik, insbesondere bei Kettenmolekiilen
I" [For the intra-molecular, statistics, especially
for chain molecules I]. Monatshefte für Chemie
(in German). 65 (1): 93–121. doi:10.1007/BF01522052.Contains
the foundation of the kinetic theory of rubber
elasticity, including the first theoretical
description of statistical mechanics of polymers
with application to viscosity and rubber elasticity,
and an expression for the entropy gain during
the coiling of linear flexible molecules.Guth,
Eugene; James, Hubert M. (1941). "Elastic
and Thermoelastic Properties of Rubber like
Materials". Industrial & Engineering Chemistry.
33 (5): 624–629. doi:10.1021/ie50377a017.Presented
earlier by Guth at the American Chemical Society
meeting of 1939, this article contains the
first outline of the network theory of rubber
elasticity. The resulting Guth-James equation
of state is analogous to van der Waal's equation.James,
Hubert M.; Guth, Eugene (1943). "Theory of
the Elastic Properties of Rubber". The Journal
of Chemical Physics. 11 (10): 455. Bibcode:1943JChPh..11..455J.
doi:10.1063/1.1723785.Presents a more detailed
version of the network theory of rubber elasticity.
The paper used average forces to some extent
instead of thermodynamical functions. In statistical
thermodynamics, these two procedures are equivalent.
After some controversy within the literature,
the James-Guth network theory is now generally
accepted for larger extensions. See, e.g.,
Paul Flory's comments in Proc. Royal Soc.
A. 351, 351 (1976).Flory, Paul J. (1992).
Principles of polymer chemistry (15. pr. ed.).
Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-0134-3.
Flory, Paul J. (1969). Statistical mechanics
of chain molecules. New York: Interscience
Publishers. ISBN 978-0-470-26495-9.Reissued:
Flory, Paul J.; J. G. Jackson; C. J. Wood
(1989). Statistical mechanics of chain molecules
(Repr. corr. ed.). Hanser Gardner. ISBN 978-1-56990-019-2.Gennes,
Pierre-Gilles de (1996). Scaling concepts
in polymer physics (5. print. ed.). Ithaca,
New York: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-8014-1203-5.
Doi, M.; Edwards, S.F. (1988). The theory
of polymer dynamics (Reprinted ed.). Oxford:
Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-852033-7.
== Electromagnetism ==
William Gilbert (main author), Aaron Dowling,
1600.See geophysics section.Coulomb, C. A.
(1785–89). Mémoires sur l'Électricité
et le Magnétisme (In French; trans. Memoirs
on Electricity and Magnetism), a series of
seven memoirs.Contains descriptions empirical
investigations into electricity. Established
an empirical inverse-square law that would
be named for him, by measuring the twist in
a torsion balance. Cavendish would use a similar
method to estimate the value of Newton's constant
G.Biot; Savart (1820). "Note sur le magnétisme
de la pile de Volta" [Note on magnetism of
the Volta pile]. Annales de chimie et de physique
(in French).Introduced the Biot–Savart law,
the magnetostatic analogue of Coulomb's law.Ampère,
André-Marie (1826). "Théorie mathématique
des phénomènes électro-dynamiques: uniquement
déduite de l'expérience" [Memoir on the
Mathematical Theory of Electrodynamic Phenomena,
Uniquely Deduced from Experience] (in French).
Méquignon-Marvis. Online links at Google
eBooks (accessed 2010-09-26), and archived
from the original at the Internet Archive.Introduced
the famous eponymous law for electric current.Ohm,
GS (1827). "Die galvanische Kette, mathematisch
bearbeitet [tr., The Galvanic Circuit Investigated
Mathematically]" (in German). TH Riemann,
Berlin.Announced the now-famous circuital
relation between voltage and current.Green,
George (1828). "An Essay on the Application
of Mathematical Analysis to the Theories of
Electricity and Magnetism", Nottingham.Essay
conceived several key ideas, among them a
theorem similar to the modern Green's theorem,
the idea of potential functions, and the concept
of what are now called Green's functions.
This (initially obscure) work directly influenced
the work of James Clerk Maxwell and William
Thomson, among others.Faraday, Michael (1839–1855).
Experimental researches in electricity (Reprinted
2000 from the 1st ed. 1839 (vol. 1), 1844
(vol. 2), 1855 (vol. 3) ed.). Santa Fe (N.M.):
Green Lion Press. ISBN 978-1-888009-15-6.Faraday's
law of induction and research in electromagnetism.Maxwell,
James Clerk (1861). "On Physical Lines of
Force". The London, Edinburgh, and Dublin
Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science.
21 (4): 161&ndash, 175, 281&ndash, 291, 338&ndash,
348.
Maxwell, James Clerk (1865). Torrance, Thomas
F., ed. A Dynamical Theory of the Electromagnetic
Field. 1982 reprint, with an appreciation
by Albert Einstein. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf and
Stock. ISBN 978-1-57910-015-5.The third of
James Clerk Maxwell's papers concerned with
electromagnetism. The concept of displacement
current was introduced, so that it became
possible to derive equations of electromagnetic
wave. It was the first paper in which Maxwell's
equations appeared.Hall, E.H. (1879). "On
a New Action of the Magnet on Electric Currents".
American Journal of Mathematics vol 2, p.
287-292. Thesis (PhD), Johns Hopkins U.Details
an experimental analysis of voltaic effect
later named for author.Jackson, J. D. (1998).
Classical Electrodynamics (3rd ed.). Wiley.
ISBN 978-0-471-30932-1.The defining graduate-level
introductory text. (First edition 1962)Griffiths,
David J. (1981). Introduction to electrodynamics
(1st ed.). Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
ISBN 978-0-13-481374-5.A standard undergraduate
introductory text.
== General physics ==
Lev Landau, Evgeny Lifshitz (1st Russ. ed.
1940, 1st Eng. ed 1960). Course of Theoretical
Physics.Important ten-volume textbook in theoretical
physics methods.Richard Feynman, Robert B.
Leighton and Matthew Sands (1964). Feynman
Lectures on Physics. Addison–Wesley.Bestselling
three-volume textbook covering the span of
physics. Reference for both (under)graduate
student and professional researcher alike.
== Mathematical physics ==
Edwin Bidwell Wilson, 1901. "Vector Analysis:
A text-book for the use of students of mathematics
and physics, founded upon the lectures of
J. Willard Gibbs Ph.D. LL.D." Free online
copy. (Accessed 7 Dec 2012.)Introduced the
modern day notation of vector calculus, based
on Gibbs' system.Minkowski relativity papers
(1907–15):See special relativity section.Silberstein,
Ludwik (1914)See special relativity section.Noether,
Emmy (1918). "Invariante Variationsprobleme"
[Invariant Variation Problems]. Nachr. D.
König. Gesellsch. D. Wiss. Zu Göttingen,
Math-phys. Klasse (in German). 1918: 235&ndash,
257. Reprinted in: Noether, Emmy (1971). "Invariant
variation problems". Transport Theory and
Statistical Physics. 1 (3): 186–207. arXiv:physics/0503066.
Bibcode:1971TTSP....1..186N. doi:10.1080/00411457108231446.Contains
a proof of Noether's Theorem (expressed as
two theorems), showing that any symmetry of
the Lagrangian corresponds to a conserved
quantity. This result had a profound influence
on 20th century theoretical physics.Eddington,
Arthur (1923)See general relativity section.Ising,
Ernst (1924). "Beitrag zur Theorie des Ferro-und
Paramagnetismus" [Contribution to the theory
of ferro- and paramagnetism]. Thesis, Hamburg
(in German).Ising, Ernst (1925). "Beitrag
zur Theorie des Ferromagnetismus" [Contribution
to the theory of ferromagnetism]. Zeitschrift
für Physik (in German). 31 (1): 253–258.
Bibcode:1925ZPhy...31..253I. doi:10.1007/BF02980577.Ising's
1924 thesis proving the non-existence of phase
transitions in the 1-dimensional Ising model.David
Hilbert; Richard Courant. Methoden der mathematischen
Physik [Methods of Mathematical Physics] (in
German)., 2 vol.
Courant, R.; Hilbert, D. (1989). Volume I.
WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA; Paperback/eBook.
p. 575. doi:10.1002/9783527617210. ISBN 9783527617210.
1st German edition 1924; current English edition
April 1989, Print ISBN 978-0-471-50447-4;
online ISBN 978-0-471-50447-4.
Courant, R; Hilbert, D, eds. (1989). Volume
II, Differential Equations. WILEY-VCH Verlag
GmbH & Co. KGaA; Paperback/eBook. p. 852.
CiteSeerX 10.1.1.28.936. doi:10.1002/9783527617234.
ISBN 9783527617234. 1st German edition 1937;
current English edition: April 1989,. Print
ISBN 978-0-471-50439-9, online ISBN 9783527617234.Influential
textbooks by two leading mathematicians of
the early 20th century.Weyl, H.K.H. (1929).
Elektron und Gravitation. I. (in German) Z.
Phys. (56), 330.The establishment of gauge
theory as an important mathematical tool in
field theories, an idea first advanced (unsuccessfully)
in 1918 by the same author.von Neumann, John
(1932).See quantum mechanics section.Peierls,
R.; Born, M. (1936). "On Ising's Model of
Ferromagnetism". Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc. 32
(3): 477–481. Bibcode:1936PCPS...32..477P.
doi:10.1017/S0305004100019174.Rudolf Peierls'
1936 contour argument proving the existence
of phase transitions in higher dimensional
Ising models.PAM Dirac (1939). "A new notation
for quantum mechanics". Mathematical Proceedings
of the Cambridge Philosophical Society. 35
(3): 416–418. Bibcode:1939PCPS...35..416D.
doi:10.1017/S0305004100021162.Introduced Dirac
notation as a standard notation for describing
denote abstract vector spaces and linear functionals
in quantum mechanics and mathematics, though
the notation has precursors in Grassmann nearly
100 years previously.Morse, Philip M.; Feshbach,
Herman (1953). Methods of theoretical physics.
New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-043316-8.
C. N. Yang, R. Mills (1954)See quantum field
theory section.Menzel, Donald H. (1961). Mathematical
physics (Unabridged and corrected republication
of the 2nd ed.). New York: Dover. ISBN 978-0-486-60056-7.Thorough
introduction to the mathematical methods of
classical mechanics, electromagnetic theory,
quantum theory and general relativity. Possibly
more accessible than Morse and Feshbach.Fröhlich,
J.; Simon, B.; Spencer, T. (1 February 1976).
"Infrared bounds, phase transitions and continuous
symmetry breaking". Communications in Mathematical
Physics. 50 (1): 79–95. Bibcode:1976CMaPh..50...79F.
CiteSeerX 10.1.1.211.1865. doi:10.1007/BF01608557.Proved
the existence of phase transitions of continuous
symmetry models in at least 3 dimensions.Kleinert,
Hagen (2004). Path Integrals in Quantum Mechanics,
Statistics, Polymer Physics, and Financial
Markets (paperback ed.). Singapore: World
Scientific. ISBN 978-981-238-107-1.
=== Pre-Modern (Classical) mathematical physics
===
Galilei, Galileo (1638)See classical mechanics
section.Newton, Isaac (1687)See classical
mechanics section.Lagrangia, Giuseppe Ludovico
(1788)See classical mechanics section.Fourier,
J-B.J (1807). Mémoire sur la propagation
de la chaleur dans les corps solides [Memoir
on the propagation of heat in solid bodies]
(in French).Considered a founding text in
the field of Fourier analysis (and by extension
harmonic analysis), and a breakthrough for
the solution of the classic (partial) differential
equations of mathematical physics.Hamilton,
William Rowan (1828–37)See optics section.Fourier,
J-B J (1822). Théorie analytique de la chaleur
(in French). Paris: Firmin Didot Père et
Fils. OCLC 2688081. English translation by
Freeman (1878), with editorial 'corrections'.
Revised French edition, Darboux (ed.) (1888),
with many editorial corrections.Contains a
discussion of Fourier(1807) and annunciation
of Fourier's law.Green, George (1828).See
electromagnetism section.Hamilton, William
Rowan (1834–1835)See classical mechanics
section.Clerk Maxwell, James (1861,1865)See
electromagnetism section.
=== Nonlinear dynamics and chaos ===
Kolmogorov-Arnol'd-Moser papers.See classical
mechanics section.Fermi, E.; Pasta, J.; Ulam,
S. (1955)See computational physics section.Lorenz,
Edward N. (1963). "Deterministic Nonperiodic
Flow". Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences.
20 (2): 130&ndash, 141. Bibcode:1963JAtS...20..130L.
doi:10.1175/1520-0469(1963)0202.0.CO;2.
ISSN 1520-0469.A finite system of deterministic
nonlinear ordinary differential equations
is introduced to represent forced dissipative
hydrodynamic flow, simulating simple phenomena
in the real atmosphere. All of the solutions
are found to be unstable, and most of them
nonperiodic, thus forcing to reevaluate the
feasibility of long-term weather prediction.
In this paper the Lorenz attractor is presented
for the first time, and gave the first hint
of what is now known as butterfly effect.Li,
Tien-Yien; Yorke, James A. (1975). "Period
Three Implies Chaos". The American Mathematical
Monthly. 82 (10): 985&ndash, 992. CiteSeerX
10.1.1.329.5038. doi:10.2307/2318254. JSTOR
2318254.
== Optics ==
Alhacen (1021). Book of Optics.(Arabic: Kitab
al-Manazir, Latin: De Aspectibus) – a seven
volume treatise on optics and physics, written
by Ibn al-Haytham (Latinized as Alhacen or
Alhazen in Europe), and published in 1021.Hooke,
R (1665). "Micrographia: or, Some physiological
descriptions of minute bodies made by magnifying
glasses" (first ed.). London: J. Martyn and
J. Allestry.The first major publication of
the Royal Society. It generated a wide public
interest in, and often is considered the creator
of, the science of microscopy. Also notable
for coining the term "biological cell".Huygens,
Christiaan (1690). Traité de la Lumiere [Treatise
on Light].Huygens attained a remarkably clear
understanding of the principles of wave-propagation;
and his exposition of the subject marks an
epoch in the treatment of Optical problems.
Not appreciated until much later due to the
mistaken zeal with which formerly everything
that conflicted with the cherished ideas of
Newton was denounced by his followers.Huygens,
Christiaan (1703). Dioptrica.This posthumous
publication contains the law of refraction
(now known as "Snell's law) and was partly
based on unpublished observations that Willebrord
Snellius made and wrote in 1621.Newton, Isaac
(1704). Opticks or, a Treatise of the reflexions,
refractions, inflexions and colours of light.
Also two treatises of the species and magnitude
of curvilinear figures. London: printed for
Sam. Smith. and Benj. Walford. (available
online)A key publication in the history of
physics, arguably Newton's second most influential
physics publication after Principia. Within
he describes his famous experiments regarding
colour and light, and ends with a set of queries
about the nature of light and matter.Goethe,
Johann Wolfgang von (1970) [1810]. Zur Farbenlehre
[(On the) Theory of Colours] (in German).
Translated from the German, with notes, by
Charles Lock Eastlake ; introduction by Deane
B. Judd (Reprint London 1840 ed.). Cambridge,
Massachusetts: MIT Press. ISBN 978-0-262-57021-3.Seminal
text (regarded as polemical for its time)
that influenced later research on human visual
and colour perception, from an author usually
remembered for his literary work.Young, Thomas
(1804). "Bakerian Lecture: Experiments and
calculations relative to physical optics".
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.
94: 1–16. Bibcode:1804RSPT...94....1Y. doi:10.1098/rstl.1804.0001.
Fresnel, Augustin (1819). "Memoir on the Diffraction
of Light". The Wave Theory of Light – Memoirs
by Huygens, Young and Fresnel. American Book
Company. pp. 79–145.
Fresnel, Augustin (1819). "On the Action of
Rays of Polarized Light upon Each Other".
The Wave Theory of Light – Memoirs by Huygens,
Young and Fresnel. American Book Company.
pp. 145–156.Work by Thomas Young and Fresnel
provided a comprehensive picture of the propagation
of light.Hamiltonian geometrical optics. Theory
of Systems of Rays and three supplements.
Reissued in Hamilton, William Rowan (1931).
The Mathematical Papers of Sir William Rowan
Hamilton, Volume I: Geometrical Optics. Edited
for the Royal Irish Academy by A. W. Conway
and J. L. Synge. Cambridge University Press.
Retrieved 2013-07-13.Hamilton, W.R. (1828).
"Theory of Systems of Rays". Transactions
of the Royal Irish Academy. 15: 69–174.
——. "Supplement to an Essay on the Theory
of Systems of Rays" (Transactions of the Royal
Irish Academy, volume 16, part 1 (1830), pp.
1–61.)
——. "Second Supplement to an Essay on
the Theory of Systems of Rays" (Transactions
of the Royal Irish Academy, volume 16, part
2 (1831), pp. 93–125.)
——. "Third Supplement to an Essay on the
Theory of Systems of Rays" (Transactions of
the Royal Irish Academy, volume 17 (1837),
pp. 1–144.)A series of papers recording
Hamilton's work in geometric optics. This
would later become an inspiration for Hamiltonian
mechanics.Maxwell, James Clerk (1861), (1865).See
electromagnetism section.Udem, Th.; Reichert,
J.; Holzwarth, R.; Hänsch, T. W. (1999).
"Accurate measurement of large optical frequency
differences with a mode-locked laser" (PDF).
Optics Letters. 24 (13): 881. Bibcode:1999OptL...24..881U.
doi:10.1364/OL.24.000881. Archived from the
original (PDF) on 2010-08-04.
Reichert, J.; T. W. Hänsch; Udem, Th.; Hänsch,
T. W. (1999). "Measuring the frequency of
light with mode-locked lasers". Optics Communications.
172 (1–6): 59–68. Bibcode:1999OptCo.172...59R.
doi:10.1016/S0030-4018(99)00491-5.
Udem, Th.; Holzwarth, R.; Hänsch, T. W. (2002).
"Optical frequency metrology". Nature. 416
(6877): 233–237. Bibcode:2002Natur.416..233U.
doi:10.1038/416233a. PMID 11894107.These three
papers introduced the Frequency comb technique.
The earlier presented the main idea but last
is the one often cited.
== Nuclear and particle physics ==
=== Nuclear physics ===
Becquerel, H (1896). "Sur les radiations émises
par phosphorescence". Comptes Rendus. 122:
420–421.Reported the accidental discovery
of a new kind of radiation. Awarded the 1903
Nobel Prize in Physics for this work.Rutherford,
E. (2004; first ed. 1904). Radio-activity.
Courier Dover Publications, 399 pages. ISBN
048649585X, 9780486495859.
Hess, V. F. (1912). "Über Beobachtungen der
durchdringenden Strahlung bei sieben Freiballonfahrten"
[About Observations of penetrating Radiation
during seven balloon-journeys]. Physikalische
Zeitschrift (in German). 13: 1084–1091.Gives
an account of the author's discovery of high
energy cosmic radiation. Awarded half of the
1936 Nobel Prize in Physics.Neutron discovery.
Chadwick, J. (1932). "Possible Existence of
a Neutron". Nature. 129 (3252): 312. Bibcode:1932Natur.129Q.312C.
doi:10.1038/129312a0.
Chadwick, J. (1932). "The Existence of a Neutron".
Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical,
Physical and Engineering Sciences. 136 (830):
692–708. Bibcode:1932RSPSA.136..692C. doi:10.1098/rspa.1932.0112.
Chadwick, J. (1933). "Bakerian Lecture. The
Neutron". Proceedings of the Royal Society
A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering
Sciences. 142 (846): 1–26. Bibcode:1933RSPSA.142....1C.
doi:10.1098/rspa.1933.0152.Chadwick's experiments
confirmed the identity of the mysterious particle
detected independently by Joliot-Curie & Joliot,
and Bothe & Becker and predicted by Majorana
and others to be a neutral nucleon in 1932,
for which Chadwick was awarded the Nobel Prize
in Physics in 1935.E. Fermi (1934), "Trends
to a theory of beta radiation", Nuovo Cimento,
11 (1): 1–19, Bibcode:1934NCim...11....1F,
doi:10.1007/bf02959820. In Italian.Introduced
a theory of beta decay, which first appeared
in 1933. The article was later translated
into German, and much later English, having
been refused publication in Nature. This was
later influential in understanding the weak
nuclear force.Bethe Nuclear Physics papers
Bethe, Hans; R. F. Bacher (1936). "Nuclear
Physics. A: Stationary States of Nuclei".
Reviews of Modern Physics. 8 (2): 82&ndash,
229. Bibcode:1936RvMP....8...82B. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.8.82.
Bethe, Hans (1937). "Nuclear Physics. B: Nuclear
Dynamics, Theoretical". Reviews of Modern
Physics. 9 (2): 69&ndash, 244. Bibcode:1937RvMP....9...69B.
doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.9.69.
Bethe, Hans; M. Stanley Livingston (1937).
"Nuclear Physics. C: Nuclear Dynamics, Experimental".
Reviews of Modern Physics. 9 (3): 245&ndash,
390. Bibcode:1937RvMP....9..245L. doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.9.245.A
series of three articles by Hans Bethe summarizing
the knowledge in the subject of Nuclear Physics
at the time of publication. The set of three
articles is colloquially referred to as "Bethe's
bible".C. L. Cowan, Jr., F. Reines, F. B.
Harrison, H. W. Kruse, A. D. McGuire; Reines;
Harrison; Kruse; McGuire (July 20, 1956).
"Detection of the Free Neutrino: a Confirmation".
Science. 124 (3212): 103–4. Bibcode:1956Sci...124..103C.
doi:10.1126/science.124.3212.103. PMID 17796274.CS1
maint: Multiple names: authors list (link)
This contains an account of an experiment
first suggested by Wang, confirming the existence
of a particle (the neutrino, more precisely
the electron neutrino) first predicted by
Pauli in 1940; a result that was rewarded
almost forty years later with the 1995 Nobel
Prize for Reines.Wu et al. (1957)See particle
physics section.Fowler et al. (1957).See astrophysics
section.
=== Particle physics ===
Thomson, JJ (1897).See the atomic and molecular
physics section.Hess, V. F. (1912).See the
nuclear physics section.C.D. Anderson (1932).
"The Apparent Existence of Easily Deflectable
Positives". Science. 76 (1967): 238–9. Bibcode:1932Sci....76..238A.
doi:10.1126/science.76.1967.238. PMID 17731542.Experimental
detection of the positron verifying the prediction
from the Dirac equation, for which Anderson
won the Nobel Physics prize in 1936. See also:
C.D. Anderson (1933). "The Positive Electron".
Physical Review. 43 (6): 491–494. Bibcode:1933PhRv...43..491A.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.43.491.Fermi, E. (1934).See
the nuclear physics section.J. C. Street and
E. C. Stevenson. "New Evidence for the Existence
of a Particle Intermediate Between the Proton
and Electron", Phys. Rev. 52, 1003 (1937).Experimental
confirmation of a particle first discovered
by Anderson and Neddermeyer at Caltech in
1936; originally thought to be Yukawa's meson,
but later shown to be a "heavy electron",
now called muon.Cowan et al. (1956)See the
nuclear physics section.Wu, C. S.; Ambler,
E; Hayward, R. W.; Hoppes, D. D.; Hudson,
R. P. (1957). "Experimental Test of Parity
Conservation in Beta Decay". Physical Review.
105 (4): 1413–1415. Bibcode:1957PhRv..105.1413W.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.105.1413.An important
experiment (based on a theoretical analysis
by Lee and Yang) that proved that parity conservation
was disobeyed by the weak force, later confirmed
by another group in the same year. This won
Lee and Yang the Nobel Prize in Physics for
1957.Sakharov, A. D. (1967).See cosmology
section.Griffiths, David (1987). Introduction
to elementary particles (New ed.). New York:
Wiley. ISBN 978-0-471-60386-3.Standard undergraduate
particle physics textbook.
== Quantum mechanics ==
For relevant publications before 1900, see
atomic and molecular physics section.
Planck, Max (1901). "Ueber das Gesetz der
Energieverteilung im Normalspectrum" [On the
Law of Distribution of Energy in the Normal
Spectrum] (PDF). Annalen der Physik (in German).
309 (3): 553&ndash, 563. Bibcode:1901AnP...309..553P.
doi:10.1002/andp.19013090310. Archived from
the original (PDF) on 2012-06-10.— (1901).
"On the Law of Distribution of Energy in the
Normal Spectrum" (PDF). Annalen der Physik.
4 (3): 553–563. Bibcode:1901AnP...309..553P.
doi:10.1002/andp.19013090310.
Introduced Planck's law of black body radiation
in an attempt to interpolate between the Rayleigh–Jeans
law (which worked at long wavelengths) and
Wien's law (which worked at short wavelengths).
He found that the above function fit the data
for all wavelengths remarkably well. This
paper is considered to be the beginning of
quantum theory and discovery of photon.Einstein,
Albert (1905). "Über einen die Erzeugung
und Verwandlung des Lichtes betreffenden heuristischen
Gesichtspunkt" (PDF). Annalen der Physik (in
German). 17 (6): 132–148. Bibcode:1905AnP...322..132E.
doi:10.1002/andp.19053220607. Retrieved 2008-02-18.English
translations:
"On a Heuristic Point of View about the Creation
and Conversion of Light". Translated by Dirk
ter Haar
"On a Heuristic Point of View about the Creation
and Conversion of Light. Translated by Wikisource
Introduced the concept of light quanta (called
photons today) to explain the photoelectric
effect. Cited for Nobel Physics Prize (1921).
Part of the Annus Mirabilis papers.Bohr model
papers:
Bohr, Niels (1913). "On the Constitution of
Atoms and Molecules, Part I" (PDF). Philosophical
Magazine. 26 (151): 1–24. doi:10.1080/14786441308634955.
— (1913). "On the Constitution of Atoms
and Molecules, Part II Systems Containing
Only a Single Nucleus" (PDF). Philosophical
Magazine. 26 (153): 476–502. doi:10.1080/14786441308634993.
— (1913). "On the Constitution of Atoms
and Molecules, Part III Systems containing
several nuclei". Philosophical Magazine. 26
(155): 857–875. doi:10.1080/14786441308635031.
— (1914). "The spectra of helium and hydrogen".
Nature. 92 (2295): 231–232. Bibcode:1913Natur..92..231B.
doi:10.1038/092231d0.Introduced the Bohr model
of the (hydrogen) atom, which later formed
the foundation for the more sophisticated
atomic shell model of larger atoms.J. Franck
& G. Hertz (1914). "Über Zusammenstöße
zwischen Elektronen und Molekülen des Quecksilberdampfes
und die Ionisierungsspannung desselben". Verh.
Dtsch. Phys. Ges. (in German). 16: 457–467.An
experiment on the electrical conductivity
of gases that supported the conclusions of
the Bohr model.Arnold Sommerfeld (1919). Atombau
und Spektrallinien. Friedrich Vieweg und Sohn,
Braunschweig' ISBN 3-87144-484-7.
Arnold Sommerfeld, translated from the third
German edition by Henry L. Brose Atomic Structure
and Spectral Lines (Methuen, 1923)Added a
relativisitic correction to Bohr's model achieved
in 1916, by Sommerfeld. Together with Planck
(1901), Einstein (1905) and Bohr model (1913)
considered stanchion of old quantum theory.Gerlach,
W.; Stern, O. (1922). "Das magnetische Moment
des Silberatoms" [The magnetic moment of silver
atoms]. Zeitschrift für Physik (in German).
9 (1): 353–355. Bibcode:1922ZPhy....9..353G.
doi:10.1007/BF01326984.This important experiment
on a beam of particles through a magnetic
field described the experimental observation
that their deflection takes only certain quantized
values was important in leading to the concept
of a new quantum number, spin.de Broglie,
Louis (1924). Recherches sur la théorie des
quanta (in French) (Researches on the theory
of quanta), Thesis, Paris. Ann. de Physique
(10) 3, 22 (1925)Introduced formally the concept
of the de Broglie wavelength to support hypothesis
of wave particle duality.Matrix mechanics
papers:
W. Heisenberg (1925), Über quantentheoretische
Umdeutung kinematischer und mechanischer Beziehungen
(in German), Zeitschrift für Physik, 33,
879-893 (received July 29, 1925). [English
translation in: B. L. van der Waerden, editor,
Sources of Quantum Mechanics (Dover Publications,
1968) ISBN 0-486-61881-1 (English title: Quantum-Theoretical
Re-interpretation of Kinematic and Mechanical
Relations).]
M. Born and P. Jordan (1925), Zur Quantenmechanik
(in German), Zeitschrift für Physik, 34,
858-888 (received September 27, 1925). [English
translation in: B. L. van der Waerden, editor,
Sources of Quantum Mechanics (Dover Publications,
1968) ISBN 0-486-61881-1 (English title: On
Quantum Mechanics).]
M. Born, W. Heisenberg, and P. Jordan (1926),
Zur Quantenmechanik II (in German), Zeitschrift
für Physik, 35, 557-615, (received November
16, 1925). [English translation in: B. L.
van der Waerden, editor, Sources of Quantum
Mechanics (Dover Publications, 1968) ISBN
0-486-61881-1 (English title: On Quantum Mechanics
II).]These three papers (die Driemaennerarbeit)
formulated matrix mechanics, the first successful
(non-relativistic) theory of quantum mechanics.Wave
mechanics papers.
Schroedinger, E (1926). "Quantisierung als
Eigenwertproblem" [German; tr. "Quantization
as an Eigenvalue Problem"]. Four communications
(Ger Mitteilungen).
Schrödinger, E. (1926). "Quantisierung als
Eigenwertproblem. (Erste Mitteilung.)" [Quantization
as an Eigenvalue Problem (1st communication.)]
(PDF). Ann. Phys. (in German). 79 (4): 361&ndash,
376. Bibcode:1926AnP...384..361S. doi:10.1002/andp.19263840404.
Archived from the original (PDF) on March
23, 2005. Key: citeulike:4768943. Alternate
URL, from the original.
"... (Zweite Mitteilung.)" [(2nd communication.)]
(PDF). Ann. Phys. (in German). 79. Archived
from the original (PDF) on January 28, 2005.
pp. 489-527, (1926). Alternate URL, from the
original.
"... (Dritte Mitteilung.)" [(3rd communication.)]
(PDF). Ann. Phys. (in German). 80. Archived
from the original (PDF) on 2012-06-17. pp.
437-490, (1926). from the original.
"... (Vierte Mitteilung.)" [(4th communication.)]
(PDF). Ann. Phys. (in German). 81. pp. 109-139,
(1926). from the original.
----------, E. (1926). "An Undulatory Theory
of the Mechanics of Atoms and Molecules".
Phys. Rev. 28 (6): 1049–1070. Bibcode:1926PhRv..28..1049S.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.28.1049.These papers introduce
the wave-mechanical description of the atom
(Ger Wellenmechanik; not to be confused with
classical wave mechanics), inspired by the
wave–particle duality hypotheses of Einstein
(1905) and de Broglie (1924), among others.
This was only the second fully adequate formulation
of (non-relativistic) quantum theory. Introduced
the now famous equation named after the author.Heisenberg,
W. (1927). "Über den anschaulichen Inhalt
der quantentheoretischen Kinematik und Mechanik"
[On the Perceptual Content of Quantum Theoretical
Kinematics and Mechanics]. Zeitschrift für
Physik (in German). 43 (3–4): 172–198.
Bibcode:1927ZPhy...43..172H. doi:10.1007/BF01397280.Formulates
the uncertainty principle as a key concept
in quantum mechanics.Germer, C.J.; Germer,
L. (January 1928). "The Diffraction of Electrons
by a Crystal of Nickel" (PDF). Bell System
Tech. J. 7 (1): 90–105. Bibcode:1927PhRv...30..705D.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.30.705. Retrieved December
5, 2012.Performed an experiment (with Lester
Germer) which observed Bragg X-ray diffraction
patterns from slow electrons; later independently
replicated by Thomson, for which Davisson
and Thomson shared the Nobel Prize in Physics
in 1937. This confirmed de Broglie's hypothesis
that matter has wave-like behaviour; in combination
with the Compton effect discovered by Arthur
Compton (who won the Nobel Prize for Physics
in 1927), established the wave–particle
duality hypothesis as a fundamental concept
in quantum theory.Dirac, P. A. M. (1930).
The Principles of Quantum Mechanics.Quantum
mechanics as explained by one of the founders
of the field, Paul Dirac. First edition published
on 29 May 1930. The second to last chapter
is particularly interesting because of its
prediction of the positron.von Neumann, John.
(1932). Mathematische Grundlagen der Quantenmechanik
(in German).Mathematical Foundations of Quantum
Mechanics, Beyer, R. T., trans., Princeton
Univ. Press. 1996 edition: ISBN 0-691-02893-1.Rigorous
axiomatic formulation of quantum mechanics
as explained by one of the greatest pure and
applied mathematicians in modern history.
In this book all the modern mathematical machinery
to deal with quantum theories, such as the
general notion of Hilbert space, that of self-adjoint
operator and a complete general version of
the spectral theory for self-adjoint unbounded
operators, was introduced for the first time.Feynman,
R P (1942). "The Principle of Least Action
in Quantum Mechanics". Ph.D. Dissertation,
Princeton University. Reprinted as Laurie
M. Brown ed., (with title Feynman's Thesis:
a New Approach to Quantum Theory). World Scientific,
2005. ISBN 978-981-256-380-4.The earliest
record of the (complete) path integral formalism,
a Lagrangian formulation of quantum mechanics,
anticipated by ideas from Dirac, via the Wiener
integral.
=== Quantum field theory ===
Klein and Gordon papers:
Klein, O. (1926). "Quantentheorie und fünfdimensionale
Relativitätstheorie". Z. Phys. 37 (12): 895–906.
Bibcode:1926ZPhy...37..895K. doi:10.1007/BF01397481.
Gordon, O. (1926). "Der Comptoneffekt nach
der Schrödingerschen Theorie". Z. Phys. 40
(1–2): 117–133. Bibcode:1926ZPhy...40..117G.
doi:10.1007/bf01390840.The publications formulate
what became known as the Klein–Gordon equation
as the first relativistically invariant Schrödinger
equation (however the equation was considered
contemporaneously by Schrödinger - in his
personal notes - and Fock, among others).Dirac
equation:
Dirac, P. A. M. (1928). "The Quantum Theory
of the Electron". Proceedings of the Royal
Society A. 117 (778): 610–624. Bibcode:1928RSPSA.117..610D.
doi:10.1098/rspa.1928.0023.
Dirac, P. A. M. (1930). "A Theory of Electrons
and Protons". Proceedings of the Royal Society
A. 126 (801): 360–365. Bibcode:1930RSPSA.126..360D.
doi:10.1098/rspa.1930.0013. JSTOR 95359.In
these papers, Dirac formulates and derives
the Dirac equation, which won him a Nobel
Prize (1933) in Physics.Feynman, Richard P.
(1949). "Space-Time Approach to Quantum Electrodynamics".
Physical Review. 76 (6): 769&ndash, 789. Bibcode:1949PhRv...76..769F.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.76.769.Introduction of
the Feynman diagrams approach to quantum electrodynamics.Yang,
C. N.; Mills, R. (1954). "Conservation of
Isotopic Spin and Isotopic Gauge Invariance".
Physical Review. 96 (1): 191–195. Bibcode:1954PhRv...96..191Y.
doi:10.1103/PhysRev.96.191.Extended the concept
of gauge theory for abelian groups, e.g. quantum
electrodynamics, to nonabelian groups to provide
an explanation for strong interactions by
use of what are now known as the Yang–Mills
equations.Electroweak unification papers:
S.L. Glashow (1961). "Partial-symmetries of
weak interactions". Nuclear Physics. 22 (4):
579–588. Bibcode:1961NucPh..22..579G. doi:10.1016/0029-5582(61)90469-2.
S. Weinberg (1967). "A Model of Leptons".
Physical Review Letters. 19 (21): 1264–1266.
Bibcode:1967PhRvL..19.1264W. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.19.1264.
A. Salam (1968). "Weak and Electromagnetic
Interactions". In N. Svartholm. Elementary
Particle Physics: Relativistic Groups and
Analyticity. Eighth Nobel Symposium at Lerum,
Sweden. Conf. Proc. C680519 (1968). Stockholm:
Almquvist and Wiksell. pp. 367–77.Combined
the electromagnetic and weak interactions
(through the use of the Higgs mechanism) into
an electro-weak theory, and won the trio the
Nobel Physics Prize (1979). Also seen as a
step towards the Standard Model of particle
physics.Higgs et al. 1964 papers:
F. Englert, R. Brout; Brout (1964). "Broken
Symmetry and the Mass of Gauge Vector Mesons".
Physical Review Letters. 13 (9): 321–323.
Bibcode:1964PhRvL..13..321E. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.13.321.
P.W. Higgs (1964). "Broken Symmetries and
the Masses of Gauge Bosons". Physical Review
Letters. 13 (16): 508–509. Bibcode:1964PhRvL..13..508H.
doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.13.508.
G.S. Guralnik; Hagen; Kibble (1964). "Global
Conservation Laws and Massless Particles".
Physical Review Letters. 13 (20): 585–587.
Bibcode:1964PhRvL..13..585G. doi:10.1103/PhysRevLett.13.585.Collectively
these three papers (called the 1964 PRL symmetry
breaking papers) formulated the concept of
the Higgs mechanism. Also important later
work done by t'Hooft.Gross, Wilczek & Politzer
1973 papers:
Won the three researchers the Nobel Physics
(2004) prize for the prediction of asymptotic
freedom.Peskin, Michael E.; Schroeder, Daniel
V. (1995). An Introduction to Quantum Field
Theory. Addison-Wesley Advanced Book Program.
ISBN 978-0-201-50397-5.Standard graduate textbook
in quantum field theory.
== Relativity ==
=== Special ===
The primary sources section of the latter
article in particular contains many additional
(early) publications of importance in the
field.
Lorentz, Hendrik (1892). "De relatieve beweging
van de aarde en den aether". Zittingsverlag
Akad. (in Dutch). 5 (1): 74–79.For a translation
see: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Translation:The_Relative_Motion_of_the_Earth_and_the_Aether.
Hendrik Lorentz was a major influence on Einstein's
theory of special relativity. Lorentz laid
the fundamentals for the work by Einstein
and the theory was originally called the Lorentz-Einstein
theory. After 1905 Lorentz wrote several papers
on what he called "Einstein's principle of
relativity".Einstein, Albert (1905-06-30).
"Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Körper" [On
the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies] (Submitted
manuscript). Annalen der Physik (in German).
17 (10): 891–921. Bibcode:1905AnP...322..891E.
doi:10.1002/andp.19053221004. See also a digitized
version at Wikilivres:Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter
Körper."On the Electrodynamics of Moving
Bodies". Translation by George Barker Jeffery
and Wilfrid Perrett in The Principle of Relativity,
London: Methuen and Company, Ltd. (1923)
"On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies".
Translation by Megh Nad Saha in The Principle
of Relativity: Original Papers by A. Einstein
and H. Minkowski, University of Calcutta,
1920, pp. 1–34:
Introduced the special theory of relativity.
Reconciled Maxwell's equations for electricity
and magnetism with the laws of mechanics by
introducing major changes to mechanics close
to the speed of light. One of the Annus Mirabilis
papers.Einstein, Albert (1905). "Ist die Trägheit
eines Körpers von seinem Energieinhalt abhängig?"
(PDF). Annalen der Physik. 18 (13): 639–641.
Bibcode:1905AnP...323..639E. doi:10.1002/andp.19053231314.
Retrieved 2008-02-18.English translations:
"Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its
Energy Content?". Translation by George Barker
Jeffery and Wilfrid Perrett in The Principle
of Relativity, London: Methuen and Company,
Ltd. (1923).
Used the newly formed special relativity to
introduce the famous mass energy formula.
One of the Annus Mirabilis papers.Minkowski
relativity papers:
Minkowski, Hermann (1915) [1907]. "Das Relativitätsprinzip"
[The Relativity Principle]. Annalen der Physik
(in German). 352 (15): 927–938. Bibcode:1915AnP...352..927M.
doi:10.1002/andp.19153521505.
—— (21 December 1907). "Die Grundgleichungen
für die elektromagnetischen Vorgänge in
bewegten Körpern". Nachrichten von der Gesellschaft
der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, Mathematisch-Physikalische
Klasse: 53–111.English translation: The
Fundamental Equations for Electromagnetic
Processes in Moving Bodies. In: The Principle
of Relativity (1920), Calcutta: University
Press, 1-69
—— (21 September 1908). "Raum und Zeit".
Physikalische Zeitschrift. 10: 75–88.Translation
by Meghnad Saha, "Space and Time" (1920):
Wikisource link.Introduced the four-vector
notation and the notion of Minkowski space,
which was later adopted by Einstein and others.Silberstein,
Ludwik (1914). The theory of relativity. Cambridge
University Press.Used concepts developed in
the then-current textbooks (e.g., vector analysis
and non-Euclidean geometry) to provide entry
into mathematical physics with a vector-based
introduction to quaternions and a primer on
matrix notation for linear transformations
of 4-vectors. The ten chapters are composed
of 4 on kinematics, 3 on quaternion methods,
and 3 on electromagnetism. Silberstein used
biquaternions to develop Minkowski space and
Lorentz transformations. The second edition
published in 1924 extended relativity into
gravitation theory with tensor methods, but
was superseded by Eddington's text.Taylor,
Edwin F.; Wheeler, John Archibald (1992).
Spacetime Physics: Introduction to Special
Relativity (2nd ed.). W. H. Freeman. ISBN
978-0-7167-2327-1.A modern introduction to
special relativity, that explains well how
the choice to divide spacetime into a time
part and a space part is no different than
two choices about how to assign coordinates
to the surface of the earth.
=== General ===
Einstein, Albert (1916). "Die Grundlage der
allgemeinen Relativitätstheorie" [The Foundation
of the General Theory of Relativity] (PDF).
Annalen der Physik (in German). 354 (7): 769–822.
Bibcode:1916AnP...354..769E. doi:10.1002/andp.19163540702.
Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-08-23.This
publication is the first complete account
of a general relativistic theory.Eddington,
Arthur Stanley (1923). The Mathematical Theory
of Relativity. Cambridge University Press.Einstein
considered this the finest description of
the theory of relativity in any language.Misner,
Charles W.; Thorne, Kip S.; Wheeler, John
Archibald (1973). Gravitation. 24th printing.
New York: W. H. Freeman. ISBN 978-0-7167-0344-0.A
book on gravitation, often considered the
"Bible" on gravitation by researchers. Published
by W.H. Freeman and Company in 1973. It covers
all aspects of the General Theory of Relativity
and also considers some extensions and experimental
confirmation. It is divided into two "tracks",
the second of which covers more advanced topics.
Its massive size (over 1200 pages) has inspired
nicknames such as "the phone book".
== Statistical mechanics and thermodynamics
==
Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford (1798). "An
Experimental Enquiry Concerning the Source
of the Heat which is Excited by Friction".
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.
88: 102. doi:10.1098/rstl.1798.0006.Observations
of the generation of heat during the boring
of cannons led Rumford to reject the caloric
theory and 
to contend that heat was a form of motion.Fourier,
J-B J (1822). Théorie analytique de la chaleur
(in French). Paris: Firmin Didot Père et
Fils. OCLC 2688081. Google eBook. English
translation by Freeman (1878), with editorial
'corrections'. Revised French edition, Darboux
(ed.) (1888), with many editorial corrections.A
founding text in the field of Fourier analysis,
and a breakthrough for the solution of the
classic (partial) differential equations of
mathematical physics. Contains an annunciation
of Fourier's law.Carnot, Sadi (1824). Réflexions
sur la puissance motrice du feu et sur les
machines propres à développer cette puissance
[Reflections on the Motive Power of Heat and
on Machines Fitted to Develop That Power].
Google eBook (in French). Paris: Bachelier.
—; Thurston, Robert Henry (1890). Reflections
on the Motive Power of Heat and on Machines
Fitted to Develop That Power. New York: J.
Wiley & Sons. (full text of 1897 ed.))
—; E. Clapeyron; R. Clausius (2005). Reflections
on the Motive Power of Fire – and other
Papers on the Second Law of Thermodynamics.
Edited with an introduction by E. Mendoza.
New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 978-0-486-44641-7.Helmholtz,
Hermann (1882). "Ueber die Thermodynamik der
chemischer Vorgänge" [On the thermodynamics
of chemical processes]. Sitzungsbericht der
Akademi der Wissenschaften zu Berlin (in German).—
(1888). "On the thermodynamics of chemical
processes". Physical Memoirs Selected and
Translated from Foreign Sources. 1: 43&ndash,
97.Gibbs, J. Willard (1875–1878). On the
Equilibrium of Heterogeneous Substances. Connecticut
Acad. Sci. ISBN 978-0-8493-9685-4. Reprinted
in:
— (October 1993). The Scientific Papers
of J. Willard Gibbs (Vol. 1). Ox Bow Press.
ISBN 978-0-918024-77-0.
— (February 1994). The Scientific Papers
of J. Willard Gibbs (Vol. 2). Ox Bow Press.
ISBN 978-1-881987-06-2.Between 1876 and 1878
Gibbs wrote a series of papers collectively
entitled "On the Equilibrium of Heterogeneous
Substances", considered one of the greatest
achievements in physical science in the 19th
century and the foundation of the science
of physical chemistry. In these papers Gibbs
applied thermodynamics to the interpretation
of physicochemical phenomena and showed the
explanation and interrelationship of what
had been known only as isolated, inexplicable
facts. Gibbs' papers on heterogeneous equilibria
included: some chemical potential concepts;
some free energy concepts; a Gibbsian ensemble
ideal (basis of the statistical mechanics
field); and a phase rule.Gibbs, Josiah Willard
(1902). Elementary Principles in Statistical
Mechanics, developed with especial reference
to the rational foundation of thermodynamics.
New York: Charles Scribner's Sons.
Einstein, Albert (1905). "Über die von der
molekularkinetischen Theorie der Wärme geforderte
Bewegung von in ruhenden Flüssigkeiten suspendierten
Teilchen" [On the movement of small particles
suspended in a stationary liquid demanded
by the molecular-kinetic theory of heat].
Ann. Phys. (in German). 17 (549): 549–560.
Bibcode:1905AnP...322..549E. doi:10.1002/andp.19053220806.
Online PDF copy.In this publication Einstein
covered his study of Brownian motion, and
provided empirical evidence for the existence
of atoms. Part of the Annus Mirabilis papers.Ising,
Ernst (1924), (1925).See mathematical physics
section.Peierls, R.; Born, M. (1936).See mathematical
physics section.Metropolis, N.; Rosenbluth,
A.W.; Rosenbluth, M.N.; Teller, A.H.; Teller,
E. (1953). "Equation of State Calculations
by Fast Computing Machines". Journal of Chemical
Physics. 21 (6): 1087–1092. Bibcode:1953JChPh..21.1087M.
doi:10.1063/1.1699114. Online article: accessed
3 May 2012.Introduces the Metropolis Monte
Carlo method with periodic boundary conditions
and applies it to 
the numerical simulation of a fluid.Fermi,
E.; Pasta, J.; Ulam, S. (1955)See computational
physics section.Kadanoff, Leo P. (1966). "Scaling
laws for Ising models near Tc". Physics. 2:
263.Introduces the real space view on the
renormalization group, and explains using
this concept some relations between the scaling
exponents of the Ising model.Wilson, Kenneth
G. (1974). "The renormalization group: critical
phenomena and 
the Kondo problem". Rev. Mod. Phys. 47 (4):
773&ndash, 840. Bibcode:1975RvMP...47..773W.
doi:10.1103/RevModPhys.47.773.Application
of 
the renormalization group to the solution
of 
the Kondo problem. The author was awarded
the Nobel Prize in 1982 for this work.
== See also ==
Outline of physics
