Science mourns Nobel physicist Higgs
14 Apr 2024
Tributes been made worldwide to Peter Higgs, the Nobel-winning physicist who gave his name to the Higgs boson subatomic particle and whose work altered understanding of the universe.
Higgs, who died on 8 April aged 94, is credited with a legacy of pioneering contributions that have reshaped modern physics. Born on May 29, 1929, in Newcastle upon Tyne his extensive work spanned seven decades.
Few of his achievements were more influential though than his groundbreaking proposal of what is now termed the Higgs mechanism, a cornerstone of particle physics. In the 1960s, while working independently of others, Higgs postulated the existence of a subatomic particle, later dubbed the Higgs boson, which endowed other particles with mass through its interaction with the theoretical field known as the Higgs field.
The theory addressed the challenge of mass generation but also contributed to understanding of the origin of mass in the universe. However Higgs’ ideas remained speculative for decades until in 2012 the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN) confirmed the validity of his work, paving the way for a renewed exploration of particle physics.
One year later, in recognition of his contribution, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics, shared that year with François Englert. The award was one of many given to Higgs, with others including the Hughes, Rutherford, Wolf, Copley and Dirac Medals.
Pic: CERN Large Hadron Collider (Brandon Style)
