Renowned Physicist Peter Higgs, Predictor of the Higgs boson, Dies at 94
At the age of 94, Professor Peter Higgs has passed away. He was a prominent theoretical physicist, celebrated for his anticipation of a fundamental particle, the Higgs boson, which gained him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2013 shortly following its identification.
Whether or not you were keeping up with scientific developments, during the early 2010s, the phrase “Higgs boson” emerged from the confines of physics discussions and captured the attention of the general public.
This was due to the ongoing efforts of scientists at CERN who were on the brink of uncovering this elusive particle – the last puzzle piece in the Standard Model of particle physics, which had remained undiscovered for many years.
2012: The Historic Discovery of the Higgs Boson
Then, in 2012, CERN made the historic announcement that they had indeed detected the Higgs boson within the Large Hadron Collider, marking a monumental scientific achievement of the 21st century.
Consequently, the Nobel Prize in Physics was jointly awarded the following year to Peter Higgs, the eponym of the boson, and Belgian theoretical physicist François Englert, whose team independently theorized the existence of the particle in the 1960s.
Peter Higgs was born in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, in 1929, and pursued his studies at King’s College London before becoming a professor at the University of Edinburgh. His interest in the mass of subatomic particles grew, particularly due to a significant inconsistency within the Standard Model, which suggested that fundamental particles should be without mass, contrary to experimental evidence.
Over time, Higgs and his fellow physicists developed a theoretical framework explaining how fundamental particles acquire mass through interactions with a pervasive quantum field in the universe. This field would give rise to a particle subsequently named after Higgs himself, as well as the field and mechanism associated with it.
Higgs’s Contribution and Recognition
Although Higgs did not directly participate in the actual detection of the boson, he was involved in the presentation during the announcement at CERN. Alongside his Nobel Prize, he received numerous other prestigious scientific accolades throughout his career.
Professor Raymond Volkas from the School of Physics at The University of Melbourne, Australia, remarked, “Higgs, as a person, was notably humble. He consistently acknowledged the contributions of other physicists who also played a role in the discovery of what we now refer to as the Higgs mechanism. He possessed the remarkable ability to explain complex physics with clarity, despite his inherent shyness when faced with interviews.”
As per an announcement from the University of Edinburgh, Peter Higgs passed away peacefully at his residence on Monday, April 8, 2024, following a brief illness.
“Peter Higgs was an extraordinary individual – an exceptionally talented scientist whose insights and creativity have deepened our understanding of the universe,” stated Professor Sir Peter Mathieson, Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh. “His groundbreaking contributions have served as inspiration for countless scientists, and his enduring legacy will serve to ignite the imaginations of many more in the years to come.”
Read the original article on: New Atlas
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