Nobel Prize for Physics Winner Chronicle in Text
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1999 The prize was awarded jointly to: GERARDUS 'T
HOOFT, and MARTINUS J.G. VELTMAN for elucidating the quantum
structure of electroweak interactions in physics.
1998 The prize was awarded jointly to: ROBERT B.
LAUGHLIN, HORST L. STORMER and DANIEL C. TSUI for their discovery
of a new form of quantum fluid with fractionally charged
excitations.
1997 The prize was awarded jointly to: STEVEN CHU,
CLAUDE COHEN-TANNOUDJI and WILLIAM D. PHILLIPS for development of
methods to cool and trap atoms with laser light.
1996 The prize was awarded jointly to: DAVID M. LEE,
DOUGLAS D. OSHEROFF and ROBERT C. RICHARDSON for their discovery of
superfluidity in helium-3.
1995 The prize was awarded for pioneering experimental
contributions to lepton physics, with one half to: MARTIN L. PERL
for the discovery of the tau lepton. and the other half to:
FREDERICK REINES for the detection of the neutrino.
1994 The prize was awarded for pioneering contributions
to the development of neutron scattering techniques for studies of
condensed matter to: BERTRAM N. BROCKHOUSE for the development of
neutron spectroscopy CLIFFORD G. SHULL for the development of the
neutron diffraction technique.
1993 The prize was awarded jointly to: RUSSELL A. HULSE
and JOSEPH H. TAYLOR JR. for the discovery of a new type of pulsar,
a discovery that has opened up new possibilities for the study of
gravitation.
1992 GEORGES CHARPAK for his invention and development
of particle detectors, in particular the multiwire proportional
chamber.
1991 PIERRE-GILLES DE GENNES for discovering that
methods developed for studying order phenomena in simple systems
can be generalized to more complex forms of matter, in particular
to liquid crystals and polymers.
1990 The prize was awarded jointly to: JEROME I.
FRIEDMAN, HENRY W. KENDALL and RICHARD E. TAYLOR for their
pioneering investigations concerning deep inelastic scattering of
electrons on protons and bound neutrons, which have been of
essential importance for the development of the quark model in
particle physics.
1989 One half of the award was given to: NORMAN F.
RAMSEY for the invention of the separated oscillatory fields method
and its use in the hydrogen maser and other atomic clocks. and the
other half jointly to: HANS G. DEHMELT and WOLFGANG PAUL for the
development of the ion trap technique.
1988 The prize was awarded jointly to: LEON M.
LEDERMAN, MELVIN SCHWARTZ and JACK STEINBERGER for the neutrino
beam method and the demonstration of the doublet structure of the
leptons through the discovery of the muon neutrino.
1987 The prize was awarded jointly to: J. GEORG BEDNORZ
and K. ALEXANDER MÜLLER for their important breakthrough in
the discovery of superconductivity in ceramic
materials.
1986 The prize was awarded by one half to: ERNST RUSKA
for his fundamental work in electron optics, and for the design of
the first electron microscope. GERD BINNIG and HEINRICH ROHRER for
their design of the scanning tunneling microscope.
1985 KLAUS VON KLITZING for the discovery of the
quantized Hall effect.
1984 The prize was awarded jointly to: CARLO RUBBIA and
SIMON VAN DER MEER for their decisive contributions to the large
project, which led to the discovery of the field particles W and Z,
communicators of weak interaction.
1983 The prize was divided equally between: SUBRAMANYAN
CHANDRASEKHAR for his theoretical studies of the physical processes
of importance to the structure and evolution of the stars. WILLIAM
A. FOWLER for his theoretical and experimental studies of the
nuclear reactions of importance in the formation of the chemical
elements in the universe. 61
1982 KENNETH G. WILSON for his theory for critical
phenomena in connection with phase transitions. 62
1981 The prize was awarded by one half jointly to:
NICOLAAS BLOEMBERGEN and ARTHUR L. SCHAWLOW for their contribution
to the development of laser spectroscopy and the other half to: KAI
M. SIEGBAHN for his contribution to the development of high-
resolution electron spectroscopy. 63
1980 The prize was divided equally between: JAMES W.
CRONIN and VAL L. FITCH for the discovery of violations of
fundamental symmetry principles in the decay of neutral K-mesons.
64
1979 The prize was divided equally between: SHELDON L.
GLASHOW, ABDUS SALAM and STEVEN WEINBERG for their contributions to
the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction
between elementary particles, including inter alia the prediction
of the weak neutral current. 65
1978 The prize was divided, one half being awarded to:
PYOTR LEONIDOVICH KAPITSA for his basic inventions and discoveries
in the area of low-temperature physics and the other half divided
equally between: ARNO A. PENZIAS and ROBERT W. WILSON for their
discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation.
1977 The prize was divided equally between: PHILIP W.
ANDERSON, SIR NEVILL F. MOTT and JOHN H. VAN VLECK for their
fundamental theoretical investigations of the electronic structure
of magnetic and disordered systems.
1976 The prize was divided equally between: BURTON
RICHTER and SAMUEL C. C. TING for their pioneering work in the
discovery of a heavy elementary particle of a new kind.
66
1975 The prize was awarded jointly to: AAGE BOHR, BEN
MOTTELSON and JAMES RAINWATER for the discovery of the connection
between collective motion and particle motion in atomic nuclei and
the development of the theory of the structure of the atomic
nucleus based on this connection.
1974 The prize was awarded jointly to: SIR MARTIN RYLE
and ANTONY HEWISH for their pioneering research in radio
astrophysics Ryle for his observations and inventions, in
particular of the aperture synthesis technique, and Hewish for his
decisive role in the discovery of pulsars.
1973 The prize was divided, one half being equally
shared between: LEO ESAKI and IVAR GIAEVER , for their experimental
discoveries regarding tunneling phenomena in semiconductors and
superconductors, respectively, and the other half to BRIAN D.
JOSEPHSON for his theoretical predictions of the properties of a
supercurrent through a tunnel barrier, in particular those
phenomena which are generally known as the Josephson
effects.
1972 The prize was awarded jointly to: JOHN BARDEEN,
LEON N. COOPER and J. ROBERT SCHRIEFFER for their jointly developed
theory of superconductivity, usually called the
BCS-theory.
1971 DENNIS GABOR for his invention and development of
the holographic method.
1970 The prize was divided equally between: HANNES
ALFVÉN for fundamental work and discoveries in
magneto-hydrodynamics with fruitful applications in different parts
of plasma physics LOUIS NÉEL for fundamental work and
discoveries concerning antiferromagnetism and ferrimagnetism which
have led to important applications in solid state
physics.
1969 MURRAY GELL-MANN for his contributions and
discoveries concerning the classification of elementary particles
and their interactions.
1968 LUIS W. ALVAREZ for his decisive contributions to
elementary particle physics, in particular the discovery of a large
number of resonance states, made possible through his development
of the technique of using hydrogen bubble chamber and data
analysis.
1967 HANS ALBRECHT BETHE for his contributions to the
theory ofnuclear reactions, especially his discoveries concerning
the energy production in stars.
1966 ALFRED KASTLER for the discovery and development
of optical methods for studying hertzian resonances in
atoms.
1965 The prize was awarded jointly to: SIN-ITIRO
TOMONAGA, JULIAN SCHWINGER and RICHARD P. FEYNMAN for their
fundamental work in quantum electrodynamics, with deep-ploughing
consequences for the physics of elementary particles.
1964 The prize was divided, one half being awarded to:
CHARLES H. TOWNES the other half jointly to: NICOLAY GENNADIYEVICH
BASOV and ALEKSANDR MIKHAILOVICH PROKHOROV for fundamental work in
the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the construction
of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser-laser
principle.
1963 The prize was divided, one half being awarded to:
EUGENE P. WIGNER for his contributions to the theory of the atomic
nucleus and the elementary particles, particularly through the
discovery and application of fundamental symmetry principles and
the other half jointly to: MARIA GOEPPERT-MAYER and J. HANS D.
JENSEN for their discoveries concerning nuclear shell
structure.
1962 LEV DAVIDOVICH LANDAU for his pioneering theories
for condensed matter, especially liquid helium.
1961 The prize was divided equally between: ROBERT
HOFSTADTER for his pioneering studies of electron scattering in
atomic nuclei and for his thereby achieved discoveries concerning
the stucture of the nucleons RUDOLF LUDWIG MÖSSBAUER for his
researches concerning the resonance absorption of gamma radiation
and his discovery in this connection of the effect which bears his
name.
1960 DONALD A. GLASER for the invention of the bubble
chamber.
1959 The prize was awarded jointly to: EMILIO GINO
SEGRÈ and OWEN CHAMBERLAIN for their discovery of the
antiproton.
1958 The prize was awarded jointly to: PAVEL
ALEKSEYEVICH CHERENKOV , IL'JA MIKHAILOVICH FRANK and IGOR
YEVGENYEVICH TAMM for the discovery and the interpretation of the
Cherenkov effect.
1957 The prize was awarded jointly to: CHEN NING YANG
and TSUNG-DAO LEE for their penetratinginvestigation of the
so-called parity laws which has led to important discoveries
regarding the elementary partic les.
1956 The prize was awarded jointly, one third each, to:
WILLIAM SHOCKLEY, JOHN BARDEEN and WALTER HOUSER BRATTAIN for their
researches on semiconductors and their discovery of the transistor
effect.
1955 The prize was divided equally between: WILLIS
EUGENE LAMB for his discoveries concerning the fine structure of
the hydrogen spectrum POLYKARP KUSCH for his precision
determination of the magnetic moment of the electron.
1954 The prize was divided equally between: MAX BORN
for his fundamental research in quantum mechanics, especially for
his statistical interpretation of the wavefunction WALTHER BOTHE
for the coincidence method and his discoveries made
therewith.
1953 FRITS (FREDERIK) ZERNIKE for his demonstration of
the phase contrast method, especially for his invention of the
phase contrast microscope.
1952 The prize was awarded jointly to: FELIX BLOCH and
EDWARD MILLS PURCELL for their development of new methods for
nuclear magnetic precision measurements and discoveries in
connection therewith.
1951 The prize was awarded jointly to: SIR JOHN DOUGLAS
COCKCROFT and ERNEST THOMAS SINTON WALTON for their pioneer work on
the transmutation of atomic nuclei by artificially acce lerated
atomic particles.
1950 CECIL FRANK POWELL for his development of the
photographic method of studying nuclear processes and his
discoveries regarding mesons made with this method.
1949 HIDEKI YUKAWA for his prediction of the existence
of mesons on the basis of theoretical work on nuclear
forces.
1948 LORD PATRICK MAYNARD STUART BLACKETT for his
development of the Wilson cloud chamber method, and his discoveries
therewith in the fields of nuclear physics and cosmic
radiation.
1947 SIR EDWARD VICTOR APPLETON for his investigations
of the physics of the upper atmosphere especially for the discovery
of the so-called Appleton layer.
1946 PERCY WILLIAMS BRIDGMAN for the invention of an
apparatus to produce extremely high pressures, and for the
discoveries he made therewith in the field of high pressure
physics.
1945 WOLFGANG PAULI for the discovery of the Exclusion
Principle, also called the Pauli Principle.
1944 ISIDOR ISAAC RABI for his resonance method for
recording the magnetic properties of atomic nuclei.
1943 OTTO STERN for his contribution to the development
of the molecular ray method and his discovery of the magnetic
moment of the proton.
1942-1940 The prize money was allocated to the Main
Fund (1/3) and to the Special Fund (2/3) of this prize
section.
1939 ERNEST ORLANDO LAWRENCE for the invention and
development of the cyclotron and for results obtained with it,
especially with regard to artifi cial radioactive
elements.
1938 ENRICO FERMI for his demonstrations of the
existence of new radioactive elements produced by neutron
irradiation, and for his related discovery of nuclear reactions
brought about by slow neutrons.
1937 The prize was awarded jointly to: CLINTON JOSEPH
DAVISSON and SIR GEORGE PAGET THOMSON for their experimental
discovery of the diffraction of electrons by crystals.
1936 The prize was divided equally between: VICTOR
FRANZ HESS for his discovery of cosmic radiation CARL DAVID
ANDERSON for his discovery of the positron.
1935 SIR JAMES CHADWICK for the discovery of the
neutron.
1934 The prize money was allocated to the Main Fund
(1/3) and to the Special Fund (2/3) of this prize
section.
1933 The prize was awarded jointly to ERWIN
SCHRÖDINGER and PAUL ADRIEN MAURICE DIRAC for the discovery of
new productive forms of atomic theory.
1932 WERNER HEISENBERG for the creation of quantum
mechanics, the application of which has, inter alia, led to the
discovery of the allotropic forms of hydrogen.
1931 The prize money was allocated to the Main Fund
(1/3) and to the Special Fund (2/3) of this prize
section.
1930 SIR CHANDRASEKHARA VENKATA RAMAN for his work on
the scattering of light and for the discovery of the effect named
after him.
1929 PRINCE LOUIS-VICTOR DE BROGLIE for his discovery
of the wave nature of electrons.
1928 SIR OWEN WILLANS RICHARDSON for his work on the
thermionic phenomenon and especially for the discovery of the law
named after him.
1927 The prize was divided equally between: ARTHUR
HOLLY COMPTON for his discovery of the effect named after him
CHARLES THOMSON REES WILSON for his method of making the paths of
electrically charged particles visible by condensation of
vapour.
1926 JEAN BAPTISTE PERRIN for his work on the
discontinuous structure of matter, and especially for his discovery
of sedimentation equilibrium.
1925 The prize was awarded jointly to: JAMES FRANCK and
GUSTAV HERTZ for their discovery of the laws governing the impact
of an electron upon an atom.
1924 KARL MANNE GEORG SIEGBAHN for his discoveries and
researchin the field of X-ray spectroscopy.
1923 ROBERT ANDREWS MILLIKAN for his work on the
elementary charge of electricity and on the photoelectric
effect.
1922 NIELS BOHR for his services in the investigation
of the structure of atoms and of the radiation emanating from
them.
1921 ALBERT EINSTEIN for his services to Theoretical
Physics, and especially for his discovery of the law of the
photoelectric effect.
1920 CHARLES EDOUARD GUILLAUME in recognition of the
service he has rendered to precision measurements in Physics by his
discovery of anomalies in nickel steel alloys.
1919 JOHANNES STARK for his discovery of the Doppler
effect in canal rays and the splitting of spectral lines in
electric fields.
1918 MAX KARL ERNST LUDWIG PLANCK in recognition of the
services he rendered to the advancement of Physics by his discovery
of energy quanta.
1917 CHARLES GLOVER BARKLA for his discovery of the
characteristic Röntgen radiation of the elements.
1916 The prize money for 1916 was allocated to the
Special Fund of this prize section.
1915 The prize was awarded jointly to: SIR WILLIAM
HENRY BRAGG and SIR WILLIAM LAWRENCE BRAGG for their services in
the analysis of crystal structure by means of X-rays.
1914 MAX VON LAUE for his discovery of the diffraction
of X-rays by crystals.
1913 HEIKE KAMERLINGH-ONNES for his investigations on
the properties of matter at low temperatures which led, inter alia
to the production of liquid helium.
1912 NILS GUSTAF DALÉN for his invention of
automatic regulators for use in conjunction with gas accumulators
for illuminating lighthouses and buoys.
1911 WILHELM WIEN for his discoveries regarding the
laws governing the radiation of heat.
1910 JOHANNES DIDERIK VAN DER WAALS for his work on the
equation of state for gases and liquids.
1909 The prize was awarded jointly to: GUGLIELMO
MARCONI and CARL FERDINAND BRAUN in recognition of their
contributions to the development of wireless
telegraphy.
1908 GABRIEL LIPPMANN for his method of reproducing
colours photographically based on the phenomenon of
interference.
1907 ALBERT ABRAHAM MICHELSON for his optical precision
instruments and the spectroscopic and metrological investigations
carried out with their aid.
1906 SIR JOSEPH JOHN THOMSON in recognition of the
great merits of his theoretical and experimental investigations on
the conduction of electricity by gases.
1905 PHILIPP EDUARD ANTON LENARD for his work on
cathode rays.
1904 LORD JOHN WILLIAM STRUTT RAYLEIGH for his
investigations of the densities of the most important gases and for
his discovery of argon in connection with these
studies.
1903 The prize was divided, one half being awarded to:
ANTOINE HENRI BECQUEREL in recognition of the extraordinary
services he has rendered by his discovery of spontaneous
radioactivity the other half jointly to: PIERRE CURIE and MARIE
CURIE, née SKLODOWSKA in recognition of the extraordinary
services they have rendered by their joint researches on the
radiation phenomena discovered by Professor Henri
Becquerel.
1902 The prize was awarded jointly to: HENDRIK ANTOON
LORENTZ and PIETER ZEEMAN in recognition of the extraordinary
service they rendered by their researches into the influence of
magnetism upon radiation phenomena.
1901 WILHELM CONRAD RÖNTGEN in recognition of the
extraordinary services he has rendered by the discovery of the
remarkable rays subsequently named after him.