SHARE THIS Print Email More sharing God particle theorists receive Nobel Prize in physics By Ben Brumfield, CNN updated 11:15 AM EDT, Tue October 8, 2013 A proton-proton collision produced in the Large Hadron Collider shows characteristics in line with the decay of a Higgs boson particle. A proton-proton collision produced in the Large Hadron Collider shows characteristics in line with the decay of a Higgs boson particle. Joe Incandela, right, spokesman for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment, gestures to the crowd next to Rolf Heuer, director-general of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, CERN, at a press conference announcing the major breakthrough in July 2012 in Meyrin, Switzerland. Attendees at the seminar applaud as physicists explain recent findings about a never-before-seen subatomic particle called the Higgs boson. British physicist Peter Higgs, right, speaks with Belgian physicist Francois Englert at a press conference at CERN in 2012. Higgs and Englert shared the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics for describing an explanation for why particles have mass. They independently published papers on this topic in 1964. CERNs Globe of Science and Innovation exhibition center and surface buildings, which provide access to the Large Hadron Collider, can be seen near Geneva, Switzerland. The LHC is a circular tunnel located 100 meters (328 feet) underground, which uses a particle accelerator to collide protons at extreme speeds. The ATLAS is one of seven experiments run on the LHC. The particle accelerator magnets of the LHC are shown at the underground test facility at CERN near Geneva. CERN scientists applaud at the main control center near Geneva during the switch-on operation of the LHC on September 10, 2008. HIDE CAPTION Searching for the God particle >> STORY HIGHLIGHTS Francois Englert and Peter Higgs are awarded the Nobel Prize in physics The Higgs boson is what gives all matter its mass and is a central part of scientific theory The July 2012 discovery of the particle is billed as one of the biggest scientific achievements (CNN) -- The Higgs boson, or the God particle, which was discovered last year, garnered two physicists the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday, but it didnt go to the scientists who detected it. Nearly 50 years ago, Francois Englert of Belgium and Peter Higgs of the United Kingdom had the foresight to predict that the particle existed. Now, the octogenarian pair share the Nobel Prize in physics in recognition of a theoretical brilliance that was vindicated by the particles discovery last year. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the prize to them. Higgs and Englerts theories behind the elusive Higgs boson explained what gives matter its mass. The universe is filled with Higgs bosons. As atoms and parts of atoms zoom around, they interact with and attract Higgs bosons, which cluster around them in varying numbers. Certain particles will attract larger clusters of Higgs bosons, and the more of them a particle attracts, the greater its mass will be. The explanation helped complete scientists understanding of the nature of all matter. The awarded theory is a central part of the Standard Model of particle physics that describes how the world is constructed, the Royal Swedish Academy said in a post on Twitter. As is tradition, the academy phoned the scientists during the announcement to inform them of their win. They were unable to reach Higgs, for whom the particle is named. The conversation with Englert was short and sweet. I feel very well, of course, he said, when he heard the news. Now, Im very happy. What is the Higgs boson and why is it important? U.S. economist Lloyd Shapley smiles outside his home in Los Angeles after being notified that he won the 2012 Nobel Memorial Prize for Economics on Monday, October 15. He and Alvin Roth share the award for their work in market design and matching theory. Alvin Roth receives congratulatory phone calls at his home in Menlo Park, California, on Monday, October 15, after winning the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics, which he shared with Lloyd Shapley. Roth was surprised and delighted when he got the midnight call at his California home telling him he had won. The Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Friday to the European Union for peaceful reconciliation after World War II between former foes Germany and France, and for spreading democracy and human rights through Europe. Chinese writer Mo Yan won the 2012 Nobel Prize for literature on Thursday, October 11, for works which combine hallucinatory realism with folk tales, history and contemporary life grounded in his native land. Picture taken October 19, 2005. Robert Lefkowitz, center, enters a party held for him at Duke University after winning the Nobel Prize in chemistry on Wednesday. Lefkowitz shares the prize with his former student, Brian Kobilka. Dr. Brian Kobilka, a professor of molecular and cellular physiology, stands in his laboratory at Stanford University. He shares the Nobel Prize in chemistry with Robert Lefkowitz of Duke University. Serge Haroche, a French physicist and professor at the College de France, shares the Nobel Prize in physics with David Wineland. David Wineland, winner of the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics, gives a tour Tuesday of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Boulder, Colorado, where he works in the physics department. Kyoto University professor Shinya Yamanaka of Japan won the Nobel Prize in medicine for groundbreaking work on stem cells. He shares the prize with Sir John B. Gurdon of Britain. Sir John Gurdon speaks Monday at a press conference after being awarded the Nobel Prize in medicine. Photos: The Nobel Prize winners of 2012 Photos: The Nobel Prize winners of 2012 Watch this video New evidence: God particle exists Watch this video Why is the God particle a big deal? Watch this video Linking the God particle to Bieber The discoverers When the Nobel announcement came down, the Higgs bosons discoverers in Geneva, Switzerland, broke out the champagne, said lead physicist Joe Incandela. The place erupted into applause. There must have been over 100 people in the room at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, he said. Many of them were American scientists. About one quarter of the physicists involved in the discovery came from the United States. The researchers felt equally recognized alongside the Nobel recipients. They were not expecting to receive the prize themselves. That would have been atypical. It goes more often to those involved on the theoretical side and not on the experimental side, Incandela said. But it didnt matter. Were extremely happy with that, he said. Im elated. We feel that weve been recognized. The fact that the prize was awarded to the theorists so soon after the particles existence was detected by experimenters is a confirmation of the value of their contribution, Incandela said. The discovery The July 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson in the most powerful particle accelerator in the world, the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, has been billed as one of the biggest scientific achievements of the past 50 years. But the Royal Academy passed over the Higgs boson last year, to the surprise of many. The scientists, in the meantime, have confirmed their discovery and solidified its place in science. Follow CNN Science News Facebook: CNNScience Twitter: @CNNLightYears On March 14, what would have been Albert Einsteins birthday, they announced that, over time, the particle they found looked even more like the Higgs boson they had been chasing for almost 50 years. It was a landmark scientific advancement, and it was a first. Many scientists dislike the term God particle, even though its become popular in the media. The nickname came from the title of a book by Leon Lederman, who reportedly wanted to call it the Goddamn Particle since it was so hard to find. The Nobel Prize in physics makes a nice lifetime achievement award for Englert and Higgs. Both are professors emeritus: Englert at the Free University of Brussels; Higgs at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Though deserving, they are lucky, as the Royal Academy had a long list of brilliant scientists and achievements to choose from. And the field of physics covers a virtually infinite scale, from beyond the smallest sub-atomic particles to the largest, most distant stars and quasars in the vast reaches of the universe.
Posted on: Sun, 06 Jul 2014 22:41:16 +0000
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