PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZE

Physics Nobel Prize

Physics Nobel Prize

Introduction

US researchers Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt and G. Adam Riess are the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics 2011 for his work on the accelerated expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae. It is believed by the scientific community that the acceleration is driven by dark energy, but now what dark energy is, that remains an enigma, perhaps the greatest in physics (Adair, 2006).

Discussion and Analysis

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics this year for his discovery of the accelerating expansion of the universe through observations of distant supernovae scientists Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt and G. Adam Riess, all born in the US. The scientific community believes that the mysterious dark energy driving this acceleration (RSAS, 2011).

The study of exploding stars, called Supernovae, led to the discovery that the universe is expanding at an ever-accelerating rate. There were conflicts in opinion that how would the world end. Among popular opinions, some scholars believe that the world will end in fire while others believe that it will end in ice. The recent discovery dates back to 1988 when a new set of foundations of cosmology was laid because of research findings presented by two teams consisting of these three laureates. The first team leader was Saul Perlmutter who started work in 1988, while Brian Schmidt launched his team at the end of 1994, with himself being team leader and Adam Riess playing a crucial role. The advancement in technology during early 1990s was incentive to the research with more powerful computers and digital imaging sensors (CCD, Nobel Prize in Physics in 2009) that added more pieces to cosmological puzzle.

Facts about Supernova:

It all begins when one of these stars exhaust their nuclear fuel and has no power to support its mass. Their nuclei explode inward and form a neutron star mass but if enough could become a black hole. The three scientists hoped to reveal earth's cosmic fate by establishing the distance to supernova and the speed at which they are moving from earth. The signs observed due to acceleration of expansion of the universe slowing down indicated an anticipated equilibrium state between fire and ice, whereas findings were on the contrary, the expansion was accelerating. Naturally, this retreat was not a product of a generalized universal paranoia to us: the impression was simply ...