Reports on Subfields of Physics: Scientific Interfaces and Technological Applications

Six of the Brinkman volumes are devoted to the major subfields of physics. However, even the casual reader of those volumes will quickly see that the division of physics into subfields is a somewhat arbitrary exercise: Particle physicists do cosmology, cosmologists do nuclear physics, nuclear physicists do atomic physics and so on. Even more striking is the degree to which physics contributes to and benefits from other sciences. Whole industries also trace their roots to recent research in physics. Modern technologies such as microelectronics and optical communication would be impossible without the aid of modern physics. Physics has also played a pivotal role in the development of national defense systems and in arms control. The physics survey volume entitled Physics Through the 1990s: Scientific Interfaces and Technological Applications explores the profound impact physics has had on society and the economy through its interfaces with other natural sciences and its applications to technology, medicine and national defense.