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Evolution of the Universe and Earth’s Place in Cosmos–The 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics


Affiliations
1 Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangala, Bengaluru 560 034, India
 

This was an unusual Nobel prize in that it was awarded ‘for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos’. This is a broad area which could include almost anything in astronomy. James Peebles was awarded one half of the Prize ‘for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology’ which was really a recognition of a lifetime of work while Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz won the other half of the Prize ‘for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star’: a very specific if notable discovery. While undeniably deserved, either award could have been given anytime in the last 25 years for the exoplanet discoveries and 50 years for the cosmology work.
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  • Peebles interview with Alan Lightman: https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/33957

  • Peebles interview with Martin Harwit: https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/oral-histories/4814

  • Princeton announcement of Nobel Prize: https://www.princeton.edu/news/2019/10/08/ princetons-james-peebles-receives-nobel-prize-physics

  • James Geach in the Conversation: https:// theconversation.com/nobel-prize-in-physics-james-peebles-master-of-the-universe-shares-award-124916

  • A Jupiter-mass companion to a solar-type star by Mayor & Queloz: https://www.nature.com/articles/378355a0

  • Queloz website at Cavendish: https://www.astro.phy.cam.ac.uk/directory/prof-didierqueloz

  • Announcement: https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/physics/2019/prize-announcement/


Abstract Views: 392

PDF Views: 124




  • Evolution of the Universe and Earth’s Place in Cosmos–The 2019 Nobel Prize for Physics

Abstract Views: 392  |  PDF Views: 124

Authors

Jayant Murthy
Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Koramangala, Bengaluru 560 034, India

Abstract


This was an unusual Nobel prize in that it was awarded ‘for contributions to our understanding of the evolution of the universe and Earth’s place in the cosmos’. This is a broad area which could include almost anything in astronomy. James Peebles was awarded one half of the Prize ‘for theoretical discoveries in physical cosmology’ which was really a recognition of a lifetime of work while Michel Mayor and Didier Queloz won the other half of the Prize ‘for the discovery of an exoplanet orbiting a solar-type star’: a very specific if notable discovery. While undeniably deserved, either award could have been given anytime in the last 25 years for the exoplanet discoveries and 50 years for the cosmology work.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv117%2Fi9%2F1414-1415