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Finding Aid to the Bergen Davis notebooks, 1898-1912.

Publisher:

American Institute of Physics Niels Bohr Library & Archives
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
USA
nbl@aip.org

2009

Encoding Information:

Machine-readable finding aid encoded by Melanie J. Brown in 2007. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process.

Finding aid is written in English

Description of the Collection

Repository:

American Institute of Physics. Niels Bohr Library & Archives.

Title and dates of collection:

Bergen Davis notebooks, 1898-1912.

Papers created by:

Davis, Bergen,

Size of collection:

1.75 linear feet
3 manuscript boxes, 1 half manuscript box

Short description of collection:

Student notebooks and experimental notebooks from Bergen Davis.

Language(s) of material:

English

Selected Search Terms

These papers have been indexed in the International Catalog of Sources for History of Physics and Allied Sciences (ICOS) using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.

Biographical Note

Bergen Davis (1869—1958) attended Rutgers College, where he earned his B.S. degree in 1896. He then attended Columbia University, studying with Drs. Robert S. Woodward and Ogden N. Rood. He earned his degree of Master of Arts in physics in 1900, and in 1901 began an appointment as Assistant in Physics at Columbia. He earned his Ph.D. in physics from Columbia in 1901, then went overseas to study in Gottingen with Reiche and Cavendish Laboratory with J.J. Thomson. He returned to Columbia in 1903 as Tutor in Physics, and held appointments as Instructor from 1907 to 1909, as Adjunct Professor from 1909 to 1913, as Associate Professor from 1913 to 1919, and as Professor of Physics from 1919 until his retirement in 1939, when he was appointed Professor Emeritus of Physics. He was known for his work in X-rays, ionization and discharge through gases. [condensed from "A Biographical Memoir," by Harold W. Webb]

Scope and Contents of Collection

Student notebooks and experimental notebooks. The student notebooks (1899-1905) consist of lecture and laboratory notes taken by Davis while a student at Columbia University, the University of Göttingen, and Cambridge University's Cavendish Laboratory. Courses and professors at Columbia University include Mechanics, taught by Robert S. Woodward; Light Theory, by William Hallock; and Electronics and Magnetism, by Michael I. Pupin. At the University of Göttingen courses included Mechanics, taught by R.G. Weber; Basic Mechanics and Magnetism, taught by Woldemar Voigt; and Electric Phenomena, by Carl V.E. Reicke, as well as other courses (teachers unidentified) on thermodynamics, the theory of gases, and electric phenomena in gases. At the Cavendish Laboratory courses included Electrodynamics, taught by Sir Joseph Larmor, and Hydrodynamics by Sir George Stokes. The experimental notebooks (1899-1900) are for work done while a research fellow at Columbia University in the fields of electricity and magnetism, electron dynamics, and circuit equations.

Organization and Arrangement of Collection

This collection is organized in a single series:

  • Series I: Notebooks

This series is arranged chronologically.

Access to Collection

Researchers must have an approved access application on file in order to access archival materials. http://www.aip.org/history/nbl/access.html.

Restrictions on Use of Collection

Provenance and Acquisition Information

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Lara D'Agaro in 2007.

Preferred Citation of Collection

Box [number], Folder [number], Bergen Davis notebooks, 1899-1912. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library & Archives, College Park, MD 20740, USA.

Container List

Series I: Notebooks
Box 1 Folder 1 Vector analysis, Dr. Little, copied from B.G. Nutting, 1898
Folder 2 Mechanics 10, Professor Woodward, 1899
Folder 3 Mechanics 10, Professor Woodward, 1900
Folder 4 Undulatory theory of light, Professor Hallock, 1900
Folder 5 Mechanics 11: potential functions, volume 1, 1900
Folder 6 Mechanics 14: electricity and magnetism, Professor Michael I. Pupin, volume 1, 1900
Folder 7 Mechanics 14: electricity and magnetism, Professor Michael I. Pupin, volume 2, 1900-1901
Folder 8 Elementary mechanics, Professor Woldemar Voigt, volume 2, 1901
Box 2 Folder 1 Mechanics 11: potential functions, volume 2, 1901
Folder 2 Description of experiments, 1901
Folder 3 The motion of fluids, 1901-1902
Folder 4 Warm theorie, 1901-1902
Folder 5 Electric phenomena, Professor Carl V.E. Reicke, 1902
Folder 6 Electro-dynamics, Sir Joseph Larmor, 1902
Folder 7 Experiments with gases, 1902-1903
Folder 8 Gas theory, Sir Joseph Larmor, 1903
Folder 9 Dynamics of the electron, Professor M.I. Pupin, 1905
Box 3 Folder 1 Dynamics of the electron, Professor M.I. Pupin, part II, 1905
Folder 2 Warmelehre, Professor Woldemar Voigt, 1912
Folder 3 Warmelehre, Professor Woldemar Voigt, volume 2, 1912
Folder 4 Circuit equations, Professor M.I. Pupin, undated
Folder 5 Discharge through gases, undated
Folder 6 Electrical phenomena in gases, Professor Kaufmann, undated
Folder 7 Electricity and magnetism, undated
Folder 8 Electricity and magnetism notes, undated
Folder 9 Electrochemistry, Professor Walther Nernst, undated
Folder 10 Examination notes in theoretical physics, undated
Folder 11 Experimental notebook, undated
Box 4 Folder 1 Hydrodynamics, Sir George Stokes, undated
Folder 2 Hydrodynamics, Sir George Stokes, undated
Folder 3 Magnetism, Professor Woldemar Voigt, undated
Folder 4 Mathematics of electric radiation, Sir Joseph Larmor, undated
Folder 5 Theory of gases, undated