Congratulations to Charles Bennett, Gary Hinshaw, Norman Jarosik, Lyman Page Jr., David Spergel and the WMAP Science Team for winning the 2018 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics on Dec. 3! The citation reads: “For detailed maps of the early universe that greatly improved our knowledge of the evolution of the cosmos and the fluctuations that seeded the formation of galaxies.” The Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was founded in 2012 by Yuri Milner to recognize those individuals who have made profound contributions to human knowledge. The team also includes:
Chris Barnes,
Olivier Doré,
Joanna Dunkley,
Ben Gold,
Michael Greason,
Mark Halpern,
Robert Hill,
Al Kogut,
Eiichiro Komatsu,
David Larson,
Michele Limon,
Stephan Meyer,
Michael Nolta,
Nils Odegard,
Hiranya Peiris,
Kendrick Smith,
Greg Tucker,
Licia Verde,
Janet Weiland,
Ed Wollack, and
Ned Wright
The X-ray Astrophysics Laboratory conducts investigations of a broad range of astronomical systems through detection and analysis of their X-ray emission and other radiation they emit. Objects studied range from nearby solar system objects to cosmological structures. Researchers at the Laboratory investigate the physics of extreme environments, such as those near the event horizons of black holes, and the evolution of stars, galaxies, and large-scale structures.
The Laboratory is the preeminent developer of state-of-the-art X-ray astronomical detectors and optical systems for performing precise spectroscopy, polarimetry, timing, and imaging. These instruments have been employed in numerous suborbital applications (sounding rockets and balloons) and orbiting observatories.
