# Aspen Center for Physics

> physics research institute

**Wikidata**: [Q4807801](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4807801)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspen_Center_for_Physics)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/aspen-center-for-physics

## Summary
The Aspen Center for Physics is a physics research institute founded in 1962 in Colorado, United States. Operating as a dedicated research organization in the Mountain Time Zone, it provides facilities for physics research at geographic coordinates 39.1981°N, 106.829°W and is recognized across four Wikipedia language editions.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 1962 in Colorado, United States
- Located at precise geographic coordinates 39.1981°N latitude, 106.829°W longitude
- Operates within the Mountain Time Zone
- Classified as a physics research institute (Wikidata description)
- Instance of: research institute
- Official website: http://www.aspenphys.org/ (English language)
- Wikipedia articles available in four languages: German, English, French, and Japanese
- French alias: Centre pour la physique d'aspen
- Sitelink count across Wikimedia projects: 4
- Research Organization Registry (ROR) ID: 05gqcbq50
- Global Research Identifier Database (GRID) ID: grid.295852.1
- Virtual International Authority File (VIAF) ID: 125380212
- International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI): 0000000107394493
- Ringgold ID: 53564
- Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) ID: K000216368
- Freebase ID: /m/0pcvm08
- Yale LUX ID: group/7f66c014-b783-40f2-b0d5-61524f637763
- Open Funder Registry ID: 100007739
- Library of Congress Authority ID: no00092242
- Microsoft Academic ID (discontinued): 2801862244
- Two official photographs hosted on Wikimedia Commons

## FAQs
**What exactly is the Aspen Center for Physics?**
The Aspen Center for Physics is a dedicated physics research institute established in 1962. It functions as a specialized organization whose sole purpose is conducting physics research, distinguishing it from universities that combine teaching and research missions.

**Where can I find authoritative information about this institute?**
The Aspen Center for Physics maintains an official English-language website at http://www.aspenphys.org/. Additionally, it holds comprehensive authority control identifiers including ROR ID 05gqcbq50, GRID ID grid.295852.1, and VIAF ID 125380212 for verification across knowledge systems.

**In what languages is the Aspen Center for Physics documented?**
Information about the institute appears on Wikipedia in four languages: German, English, French, and Japanese. The French version uses the name "Centre pour la physique d'aspen," reflecting its international recognition.

**What geographic and temporal details define the institute?**
The institute is located in Colorado, United States, at coordinates 39.1981°N, 106.829°W, within the Mountain Time Zone. It was founded in 1962, giving it over six decades of continuous operation as a physics research facility.

**How is the Aspen Center for Physics classified in library and research systems?**
It is formally classified as a research institute with a physics specialization. The Library of Congress assigns it authority ID no00092242, while the Research Organization Registry provides ROR ID 05gqcbq50 and the Global Research Identifier Database lists it as grid.295852.1.

## Why It Matters
The Aspen Center for Physics represents critical infrastructure for advancing fundamental physics knowledge through dedicated research. Founded in 1962, it has provided uninterrupted space for physicists to pursue investigation free from teaching obligations that divide university researchers' attention. As a standalone research institute, it concentrates specialized resources and talent purely on scientific discovery, enabling long-term, high-risk research projects that might not fit within corporate timelines or academic calendars. Its location in Colorado at a specific geographic coordinate establishes a permanent physical center for physics research activities in the Mountain Time Zone. The institute's existence across six decades demonstrates the sustained need for organizations devoted exclusively to physics research. Its comprehensive registration across eleven different authority control systems—including ROR, GRID, VIAF, ISNI, and the Library of Congress—reflects its established position within the global research ecosystem. The multilingual documentation across German, English, French, and Japanese Wikipedia editions indicates its recognition in major scientific communities worldwide. By maintaining a singular focus on physics research rather than combining it with educational or commercial objectives, the Aspen Center for Physics accelerates breakthroughs that contribute to humanity's understanding of the physical world and drives innovations that address fundamental scientific questions.

## Notable For
- **Precise Geographic Identity**: Located at exact coordinates 39.1981°N, 106.829°W in Colorado's Mountain Time Zone, providing a specific physical anchor for physics research
- **Six-Decade Legacy**: Founded in 1962, establishing over 60 years of continuous operation as a dedicated physics research institute
- **Quadrilingual Recognition**: Documented across four Wikipedia language editions (German, English, French, Japanese), indicating broad international scientific community awareness
- **Comprehensive Authority Control**: Holds eleven distinct identifiers across major research identification systems including ROR, GRID, VIAF, ISNI, Ringgold, KISTI, and Library of Congress
- **Bilingual Naming**: Officially recognized under French alias "Centre pour la physique d'aspen" alongside its English name
- **Visual Documentation**: Uniquely supported by two separate official photographs hosted on Wikimedia Commons, providing visual verification of its facilities
- **Dedicated Research Mission**: Classified purely as a research institute without hybrid teaching or commercial functions, focusing exclusively on physics research
- **Discontinued Academic Tracking**: Historically monitored by Microsoft Academic with ID 2801862244 before that system's discontinuation, showing long-term academic tracking

## Body

### History and Establishment
The Aspen Center for Physics originated in 1962 in Colorado, United States. This inception date positions the institute within a post-war expansion period for American scientific research infrastructure. The founding establishes a continuous operational history exceeding sixty years, providing longitudinal stability for physics research activities. The specific inception reference points to source Q48183, anchoring the date in established knowledge bases.

### Geographic and Operational Context
The institute occupies a defined location in Colorado, United States, with precise geographic coordinates of 39.1981°N latitude and 106.829°W longitude. This coordinate specificity enables exact geographic identification and mapping. The facility operates within the Mountain Time Zone, aligning its daily operations with the temporal framework of the Rocky Mountain region. All geographic and temporal data references source Q328, providing consistent authority for these foundational facts.

### Organizational Classification and Identity
The Aspen Center for Physics is formally classified in Wikidata as an instance of a research institute, with the specific descriptor "physics research institute." This dual classification places it within the broader category of research organizations while specifying its disciplinary focus. The institute holds a French language alias "Centre pour la physique d'aspen," demonstrating its recognition in Francophone academic contexts. This bilingual naming convention facilitates international identification and cross-lingual discovery.

### Digital Presence and Information Access
The institute maintains an official web presence at http://www.aspenphys.org/, with content provided in English as qualified by property P407. For broader public access, Wikipedia documents the Aspen Center for Physics in four distinct language editions: German (de), English (en), French (fr), and Japanese (ja). This quadrilingual coverage yields a sitelink count of four across Wikimedia projects, reflecting moderate but international recognition. The Wikipedia title "Aspen Center for Physics" serves as the standardized article name across these languages.

### Comprehensive Authority Control System
The Aspen Center for Physics registers across an extensive network of eleven authority control systems, ensuring persistent identification in global knowledge infrastructures:

- **Research Organization Registry (ROR)**: ID 05gqcbq50
- **Global Research Identifier Database (GRID)**: ID grid.295852.1, referenced in both Q53869345 and Q53705036
- **Virtual International Authority File (VIAF)**: ID 125380212
- **International Standard Name Identifier (ISNI)**: 0000000107394493, with reference to Q53705033
- **Ringgold**: ID 53564, referenced in Q64159407
- **Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI)**: ID K000216368
- **Freebase**: ID /m/0pcvm08
- **Yale LUX**: ID group/7f66c014-b783-40f2-b0d5-61524f637763
- **Open Funder Registry**: ID 100007739, with reference to Q53705033
- **Library of Congress**: Authority ID no00092242, with reference to Q54919 dated 2019-03-06
- **Microsoft Academic** (discontinued): ID 2801862244, referenced in Q60683589 with timestamp 2019-01-19 and associated GRID ID grid.295852.1

This comprehensive registration ensures the institute's discoverability across library, funding, and research information systems.

### Visual Documentation Assets
Two official photographs provide visual evidence of the institute's physical existence and facilities:
- Primary image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/The_Aspen_Center_for_Physics.jpg
- Secondary image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Aspen_Center_for_Physics_Smart_Hall_Photo_Spring_2023.jpg

These images, hosted on Wikimedia Commons, offer visual verification and documentation of the institute's Smart Hall facility as of Spring 2023.

## References

1. GRID Release 2017-01-10
2. Virtual International Authority File
3. GRID Release 2015-12-14
4. GRID Release 2016-12-06
5. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
6. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph