Announcement of the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics

A note from Dr. Rodney Michael, Associate Professor of Physics:

 

The 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded to Francois Englert and Peter Higgs for the theory of how particles get their mass.  The current understanding of the universe is based on the Standard Model of Particle Physics.  This model states that everything in the universe from flowers and galaxies to you is built from a handful of fundamental matter particles and force particles.  This standard model, which explained the world very well, predicted that the particles should have no mass, contrary to observation.  In 1964 Englert and Higgs independently proposed a new quantum field and associated particle.  This ‘Higgs Particle’ provided a mechanism for the fundamental particles to gain mass thus saving the standard model.  On 04 July 2012 scientists at CERN announced the observation of the Higgs particle confirming the standard model and the Higgs Field. For more information see:   http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/2013/popular-physicsprize2013.pdf