School of Physics and Astronomy celebrates prestigious Breakthrough Prize achievement
The trajectories of particles produced in the LHCb experiment from a collision of protons. (CC by 4, Copyright CERN/LHCb)
Congratulations to 13 researchers and students in the School of Physics and Astronomy at Monash University who have been named laureates of the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics.
The award, often referred to as the “Oscars of Science,” recognises the monumental contributions of researchers to the ATLAS, CMS, ALICE, and LHCb collaborations at CERN, which have driven ground-breaking discoveries in particle physics over the last 15 years.
The award celebrates the achievements of over 13,000 researchers globally who have contributed to the success of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), including the discovery of the Higgs boson, new particles containing four and five quarks, and even potential hints of new forces of nature.
Monash University’s involvement in the LHCb collaboration has focused on the study of rare particle decays involving the heavy bottom quark.
These rare decays provide a unique lens through which physicists can search for forces of nature that extend beyond the known framework of physics.
Researchers from the School of Physics and Astronomy have also played a significant role in understanding how particles containing multiple heavy quarks are formed from proton collisions.
Professor Stefan Maier, Head of the School of Physics and Astronomy, congratulated the researchers for their exceptional contributions:
“This recognition highlights the immense talent, dedication, and innovative approach of our students and researchers,” Professor Maier said. “To be part of this collective achievement of the LHCb collaboration at the forefront of fundamental physics is truly inspiring.”
The discoveries enabled by the Large Hadron Collider have not only expanded our understanding of the universe but have also ignited the imaginations of future scientists.
The US$3 million prize money will be used by the collaborations to support grants for doctoral students from member institutes.
These grants will enable doctoral researchers to spend invaluable time at CERN, gaining hands-on experience and developing expertise at the cutting edge of scientific inquiry.
Laureates from the School of Physics and Astronomy include Jordan Nash, Frank Liu, Eliot Walton, Rongrong Song, Alex Ward, Matthew Monk, Minni Singla, Riley Henderson, Jake Lane, Sam Dekkers, Yuki Fujii, Tom Hadavizadeh, and Ulrik Egede.
This recognition confirms the School’s place as a global leader in the field of physics and highlights its continued commitment to advancing the boundaries of human knowledge.
Further information
Silvia Dropulich
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T: +61 3 9902 4513 M: +61 435 138 743
Email: silvia.dropulich@monash.edu