The Hans A. Bethe Prize, is presented annually by the
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...
.
The prize honors outstanding work in theory, experiment or observation in the areas of
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
,
nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...
, nuclear astrophysics, or closely related fields. The prize consists of $10,000 and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient.
Hans Bethe prize is endowed by contributions from the Division of Astrophysics, the Division of Nuclear Physics and friends of the
Nobel laureate
The Nobel Prizes ( sv, Nobelpriset, no, Nobelprisen) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make out ...
Hans A. Bethe to honor him for his outstanding and numerous accomplishments in both
astrophysics
Astrophysics is a science that employs the methods and principles of physics and chemistry in the study of astronomical objects and phenomena. As one of the founders of the discipline said, Astrophysics "seeks to ascertain the nature of the h ...
and
nuclear physics
Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter.
Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies the ...
.
The prize has been awarded annually since 1998.
Prize recipients
* 2022 –
Madappa Prakash
Madappa Prakash (born December 28, 1953, in Mysore) is an Indian-American nuclear physicist and astrophysicist, known for his research on the physics of neutron stars and heavy-ion collisions.
Education and career
Prakash grew up in Mysore. At th ...
: "For fundamental contributions to the physics of hot and dense matter, and their implications for heavy ion collisions and multi-messenger observations of neutron star structure and evolution."
* 2021 –
James W. Truran
James Wellington Truran Jr. (born July 12, 1940, Brewster, New York – March 5, 2022) was an American physicist, known for his research in nuclear astrophysics.
Biography
Truran graduated in 1961 with a bachelor's degree from Cornell University. ...
: "For distinguished contributions across the breadth of nuclear astrophysics, Galactic chemical evolution and cosmochronology."
* 2020 –
Fiona A. Harrison
Fiona A. Harrison is the Kent Kresa, Kent and Joyce Kresa Leadership Chair of the Division of Physics, Mathematics and Astronomy at California Institute of Technology, Caltech, Harold Rosen (electrical engineer), Harold A. Rosen Professor of Phys ...
: "For pioneering work in conceiving and executing the first focusing telescope in the high energy X-ray regime, NASA’s Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) satellite. NuSTAR has enabled major advances in understanding phenomena in the most extreme environments in the universe."
* 2019 –
Ken'ichi Nomoto
Ken'ichi Nomoto (野本 憲一 ''Nomoto Ken'ichi'', born 1 December 1946 in Tokyo) is a Japanese astrophysicist and astronomer, known for his research on stellar evolution, supernovae, and the origin of heavy elements.
Education and career
Nomot ...
: "For lasting contributions to our understanding of the nuclear astrophysics of the universe, including stellar evolution, the synthesis of new elements, the theory of core-collapse and thermonuclear supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts."
* 2018 –
Keith Olive: "For outstanding contributions across a broad spectrum of fields including nuclear physics, particle physics, theoretical and observational astrophysics, and cosmology, especially Big Bang nucleosynthesis and the properties of dark matter."
* 2017 –
Stuart L. Shapiro
Stuart Louis Shapiro (born December 6, 1947, in New Haven, Connecticut) is an American theoretical astrophysicist, who works on numerical relativity with applications in astrophysics, specialising in compact objects such as neutron stars and bla ...
: "For seminal and sustained contributions to understanding physical processes in compact object astrophysics, and advancing numerical relativity."
* 2016 –
Vassiliki Kalogera
Vassiliki Kalogera is a Greek astrophysicist. She is a professor at Northwestern University and the Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA). She is a leading member of the LIGO Collaboration ...
: "For key contributions to the study of the electromagnetic and
gravitational wave radiation from binary compact objects, including the now-verified prediction that
neutron star
A neutron star is the collapsed core of a massive supergiant star, which had a total mass of between 10 and 25 solar masses, possibly more if the star was especially metal-rich. Except for black holes and some hypothetical objects (e.g. white ...
mergers produce short
gamma-ray burst
In gamma-ray astronomy, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. They are the most energetic and luminous electromagnetic events since the Big Bang. Bursts can last from ten milli ...
s that will be found in all
galaxy
A galaxy is a system of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, dark matter, bound together by gravity. The word is derived from the Greek ' (), literally 'milky', a reference to the Milky Way galaxy that contains the Solar System. ...
types."
* 2015 –
James M. Lattimer: "For outstanding theoretical work connecting observations of
supernovae and
neutron stars
A neutron star is the collapsed core of a massive supergiant star, which had a total mass of between 10 and 25 solar masses, possibly more if the star was especially metal-rich. Except for black holes and some hypothetical objects (e.g. white ...
with
neutrino
A neutrino ( ; denoted by the Greek letter ) is a fermion (an elementary particle with spin of ) that interacts only via the weak interaction and gravity. The neutrino is so named because it is electrically neutral and because its rest mass ...
emission and the equation of state of matter beyond
nuclear density
Nuclear density is the density of the nucleus of an atom. For heavy nuclei, it is close to the ''nuclear saturation density'' n_0=0.15\pm0.01 nucleons/ fm3, which minimizes the energy density of an infinite nuclear matter. The ''nuclear saturation ...
."
* 2014 –
Karl Ludwig Kratz: "For his ground breaking and visionary work towards developing a cohesive picture of the r-process by employing novel experimental techniques to study the decay of nuclei far from stability, working with observations of astronomers, models of astrophysicists and nuclear theorists, and the geochemical analyses of meteorites."
* 2013 –
George M. Fuller: "For outstanding contributions to nuclear astrophysics, especially his seminal work on weak interaction rates for stellar evolution and collapse and his pioneering research on neutrino flavor-mixing in supernovae."
* 2012 –
Manuel Peimbert &
Silvia Torres-Peimbert: "For outstanding work on the primordial helium abundance as well as abundances of other elements and their implications for cosmology and for the chemical evolution of galaxies and stars. This work is fundamental as a critical test for cosmological theories and the baryonic content of the Universe."
* 2011 –
Christopher J. Pethick
Christopher John Pethick (born 22 February 1942 in Horsham, UK) is a British theoretical physicist, specializing in many-body theory, ultra-cold atomic gases, and the physics of neutron stars and stellar collapse.
Education and career
Pethick stu ...
: "For fundamental contributions to the understanding of nuclear matter at very high densities, the structure of neutron stars, their cooling, and the related neutrino processes and astrophysical phenomena."
* 2010 –
Claus Rolfs: "For seminal contributions to the experimental determination of nuclear cross-sections in stars, including the first direct measurement of the key
3He fusion reaction
Nuclear fusion is a reaction in which two or more atomic nuclei are combined to form one or more different atomic nuclei and subatomic particles (neutrons or protons). The difference in mass between the reactants and products is manifeste ...
at solar conditions"
* 2009 –
William David Arnett
William David Arnett (born 1940) is a Regents Professor of Astrophysics at Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, known for his research on supernova explosions, the formation of neutron stars or black holes by gravitational collapse, and ...
: "For his outstanding and fundamental work on how nuclear reactions shape multi-dimensional and partly out-of-equilibrium evolution of stars and supernova explosions and their yields of new isotopes."
* 2008 –
Friedrich K. Thielemann: "For his many outstanding theoretical contributions to the understanding of
nucleosynthesis
Nucleosynthesis is the process that creates new atomic nuclei from pre-existing nucleons (protons and neutrons) and nuclei. According to current theories, the first nuclei were formed a few minutes after the Big Bang, through nuclear reactions in ...
,
stellar evolution
Stellar evolution is the process by which a star changes over the course of time. Depending on the mass of the star, its lifetime can range from a few million years for the most massive to trillions of years for the least massive, which is cons ...
and stellar explosions through applications to individual objects and to cosmic chemical evolution."
* 2007 –
James R. Wilson: "For his work in nuclear astrophysics and numerical work on supernovae core collapse, neutrino transport, and shock propagation. His codes reenergized supernovae shocks, launched numerical relativity and magnetically driven jets."
* 2006 –
Alastair G.W. Cameron: "For his pioneering work in developing the fundamental concepts of
nuclear astrophysics
Nuclear astrophysics is an interdisciplinary part of both nuclear physics and astrophysics, involving close collaboration among researchers in various subfields of each of these fields. This includes, notably, nuclear reactions and their rates as ...
. These basic ideas, laid out almost 50 years ago, are still the basis of current research in this field."
* 2005 –
Stan Woosley: "For his significant and wide ranging contributions in the areas of
stellar evolution
Stellar evolution is the process by which a star changes over the course of time. Depending on the mass of the star, its lifetime can range from a few million years for the most massive to trillions of years for the least massive, which is cons ...
, element synthesis, the theory of core collapse and type Ia supernovae, and the interpretation of
gamma-ray bursts
In gamma-ray astronomy, gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are immensely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. They are the most energetic and luminous electromagnetic events since the Big Bang. Bursts can last from ten milli ...
– most notably, the collapsar model of gamma-ray bursts."
* 2004 –
Wick Haxton: ""For his noteworthy contributions and scientific leadership in the field of neutrino astrophysics, in particular for his success in merging nuclear theory with experiments and observations in nuclear physics and astrophysics."
* 2003 –
Michael C. F. Wiescher: "For his contributions to the experimental foundation of nuclear astrophysics, especially the delineation of the processes involved in explosive hydrogen burning in novae and
x-ray burster
X-ray bursters are one class of X-ray binary stars exhibiting X-ray bursts, periodic and rapid increases in luminosity (typically a factor of 10 or greater) that peak in the X-ray region of the electromagnetic spectrum. These astrophysical sys ...
s; and for providing an intellectual bridge between experimental nuclear astrophysicists and their theoretical col-leagues."
* 2002 –
Gordon Baym
Gordon Alan Baym (born July 1, 1935) is an American theoretical physicist.
Biography
Born in New York City, he graduated from the Brooklyn Technical High School, and received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University in 1956. He earned hi ...
: "For his superb synthesis of fundamental concepts which have provided an understanding of matter at extreme conditions, ranging from crusts and interiors of neutron stars to matter at ultrahigh temperature."
* 2001 –
Gerald E. Brown
Gerald Edward Brown (born July 22, 1926 in Brookings, South Dakota; † May 31, 2013 in New York City) was an American theoretical physicist who worked on nuclear physics and astrophysics. Since 1968 he had been a professor at the Stony Brook Un ...
: "For his insightful analyses of the effects of various nuclear constituents on nucleon interactions and nucleon structure, and his contributions to new viewpoints on
supernovae,
neutron stars
A neutron star is the collapsed core of a massive supergiant star, which had a total mass of between 10 and 25 solar masses, possibly more if the star was especially metal-rich. Except for black holes and some hypothetical objects (e.g. white ...
, and
black hole formation."
* 2000 –
Igal Talmi
Igal Talmi (Hebrew: יגאל תלמי) (born January 31, 1925) is an Israeli nuclear physicist.
Biography
Igal Talmi was born in 1925 in Kiev, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. His family immigrated to Mandate Palestine later that year an ...
: "For pioneering work on the
shell model
The SHELL model is a conceptual model of human factors that clarifies the scope of aviation human factors and assists in understanding the human factor relationships between aviation system resources/environment (the flying subsystem) and the huma ...
of the nucleus that laid the foundation of much of what we know about
nuclear structure
Understanding the structure of the atomic nucleus is one of the central challenges in nuclear physics.
Models The liquid drop model
The liquid drop model is one of the first models of nuclear structure, proposed by Carl Friedrich von Weizsäcke ...
."
* 1999 –
Edwin Ernest Salpeter
Edwin Ernest Salpeter (3 December 1924 – 26 November 2008,) was an Austrian–Australian–American astrophysicist.
Life
Born in Vienna to a Jewish family, Salpeter emigrated from Austria to Australia while in his teens to escape the Nazis. He ...
: "For wide-ranging contributions to nuclear and
atomic physics
Atomic physics is the field of physics that studies atoms as an isolated system of electrons and an atomic nucleus. Atomic physics typically refers to the study of atomic structure and the interaction between atoms. It is primarily concerned wit ...
and astrophysics, including the triple-alpha reaction, electron screening of nuclear reactions, charged-current emission of neutrinos, and the form of the stellar
initial mass function
In astronomy, the initial mass function (IMF) is an empirical function that describes the initial Frequency distribution, distribution of masses for a population of stars. The IMF is an output of the process of star formation. The IMF is often g ...
."
* 1998 –
John Norris Bahcall: "For his fundamental work on all theoretical aspects of the
solar neutrino
A solar neutrino is a neutrino originating from nuclear fusion in the Sun's core, and is the most common type of neutrino passing through any source observed on Earth at any particular moment. Neutrinos are elementary particles with extremely smal ...
problem and his important contributions to other areas of nuclear astrophysics."
See also
*
List of physics awards
This list of physics awards is an index to articles about notable awards for physics.
The list includes lists of awards by the American Physical Society of the United States, and of the Institute of Physics of the United Kingdom, followed by a lis ...
References
External links
Hans A. Bethe Prize (official site)
from the
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
The Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI) is a component of the Office of Science within the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The '' Energy Policy Act'' PL 109–58, Section 982, called out the responsibility of OSTI: "The Secre ...
,
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government that oversees U.S. national energy policy and manages the research and development of nuclear power and nuclear weapons in the United Stat ...
Hans Bethe And His PhysicsAmerican Physical Society web page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bethe Prize
Awards of the American Physical Society
Awards established in 1998
1998 establishments in the United States