2011 Nobel Prize in Physics for the Accelerating Expansion of the UniverseBackground information and a statement by AIP executive director and CEO
College Park, Md., October 4, 2011 — The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics will be awarded to Saul Perlmutter of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the University of California, Berkeley; Brian Schmidt of the Australian National University; and Adam Riess of Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute, both in Baltimore, Md., "for the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe through observations of distant supernovae," a discovery that reshaped our understanding of the cosmos and the ultimate fate of the universe. Announced in 1998 by two research teams — one headed by Saul Perlmutter, which began its work in 1988, and the other by Brian Schmidt, which began its work in 1994 and was later joined by Adam Riess — the idea that the expansion of the universe was accelerating surprised the scientific community, but is now a well-established cornerstone of modern cosmology. The discovery:
Last year's prize was awarded to Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov of the University of Manchester, U.K., for their pioneering work with graphene, a single-atom-thick sheet of carbon. http://journals.aip.org/Nobel2010.html Statement:"It's really a fitting prize. This year's Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes a startling new revelation in our understanding of the cosmos. Based on measurements from the last 15 years, we now know that the expansion of our universe is not slowing, as was believed since the Big Bang theory first emerged, but that its expansion is actually accelerating. This acceleration has been the dominant force in the cosmos since our universe was about half its current age. This discovery also provides additional insights into Einstein's theory of general relativity, a cornerstone of physics and our understanding of the universe. So this discovery not only helps us understand the evolution of the universe, but it also gives us new insights into how it may end. It shows science at its best, where a startling discovery was made and confirmed by two independent teams." — Dr. H. Frederick Dylla, executive director and CEO, American Institute of Physics Physics Today Article by Saul Perlmutter:Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Universe Pictures and Graphics:http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/56200main_dark_expansion-lg.jpg NSF Videos on Dark Energy: Additional Audio Interviews on Nobel Prize in General:H. Frederick Dylla: Greg Good is the director of the American Institute of Physics' Center on the History of Physics. Related AIP News Itemshttp://www.aip.org/pnu/2004/split/675-1.html http://www.aip.org/pnu/1998/split/pnu355-1.htm http://www.aip.org/png/2003/200.htm http://www.aip.org/pnu/2003/split/657-1.html http://www.aip.org/pnu/2006/split/802-1.htmlExperts in the General Subject AreaMichael S. Turner, University of Chicago Garth Illingworth, Lick Observatory Rachel Bean, Cornell University Anthony Tyson, UC Davis Kevin Marvel, Executive Director, American Astronomical Society WebsitesNobel Prize site: Recipients' sites: NSF resource pages: APS News relevant article: Relevant items in Physics Today: Past Nobel laureates in physics: Free AIP Journal Articles Published by the Nobel LaureatesThe Nearby Supernova Factory dataset-improving SNe Ia as dark energy probes Seeing Dark Energy Cepheid Variables in the Antennae The SH0ES Project: Observations of Cepheids in NGC 4258 and Type Ia SN Hosts Seeing Dark Energy 10 Years Later The Supernova Type Ia Rate Evolution with SNLS The Peculiar Type Ia Supernova 2005hk Type Ia supernova diversity: Standardizing the candles Kinematics and Dark Energy from Supernovae at z > 1 Towards Measuring the Cosmic Gamma-Ray Burst Rate Rapid Identification of Optical Afterglows: Bright Prospects Supernovae, Dark Energy, and the Accelerating Universe Supernovae, dark energy, and the accelerating universe: What next? Evidence from Type Ia supernovae for an accelerating universe A high peculiarity rate for Type Ia SNe Cosmological parameters from supernovae: Two groups' results agree A one-meter aperture wide-field camera for the Japanese exposure module on space station A search for gamma-ray burst optical emission with the automated patrol telescope Automated search for supernova explosions Additional PicturesSaul Perlmutter: Journalists are welcome to use AIP's W.F. Meggers Gallery of Nobel Laureates, which contains a collection of all the winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics up to 2010, as well as physicists who have received a Nobel Prize in other areas (e.g. Chemistry or Peace). Gallery: Image Use Policy: Pictures of Nobel Laureates available from Wikimedia Commons: About AIPThe American Institute of Physics is an organization of 10 physical science societies, representing more than 135,000 scientists, engineers, and educators and is one of the world's largest publishers of scientific information in physics. AIP pursues innovation in electronic publishing of scholarly journals and offers full-solution publishing services for its Member Societies. AIP publishes 13 journals; two magazines, including its flagship publication Physics Today; and the AIP Conference Proceedings series. AIP also delivers valuable resources and expertise in education and student services, science communication, government relations, career services for science and engineering professionals, statistical research, industrial outreach, and the history of physics and other sciences. For more information contact:Charles Blue – Manager or Media Services, +1.301.209.3091; cblue@aip.org 
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