The American Institute of Physics (AIP) is a not-for-profit membership corporation which began in 1931 for the purpose of promoting the advancement and diffusion of the knowledge of physics and its application to human welfare. Its members are leading societies in the fields of physics and astronomy, and its activities include providing services to its member societies in publishing, finance, and education. AIP publishes scientific journals reporting original research in all the principal areas of physics and allied sciences including translation journals and journals on behalf of its member societies. The Publications Division handles this principal responsibility of the AIP.