The Robert R. Wilson Prize for Achievement in the Physics of Particle Accelerators is an annual prize established in 1987 by the American Physical Society (APS) to recognize and encourage outstanding achievement, ordinarily by one person but sometimes to two or more physicists who have contributed to the same accomplishment, in the physics of particle accelerators. The prize consists of $10,000, a travel allowance to the APS meeting where the prize is formally awarded, and a certificate citing the prize-winning contributions of the recipient. The prize is named in honor of Robert R. Wilson.[1]
| Year | Name | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Ernest Courant | For his key role in the invention of the principle of Alternating Gradient Focusing, and his pioneering work in particle beam dynamics. This invention and the subsequent development of particle accelerators has made possible the exploration of the elementary constituents of matter, at the nuclear and subnuclear level, which has led to our new understanding of Elementary Particle Physics. It has also led to application of accelerators to many areas of science and technology such as Synchrotron Light Sources. |
| 1988 | Donald William Kerst | For his many contributions to accelerator physics, including the development of the betatron (1940); his seminal paper (with Serber) on Orbit Dynamics in Circular Accelerators (1941); his leadership in the design and construction of a series of machines at the University of Illinois (through 1950); and his work as Technical Director of the Midwestern Universities Research Association (1953 - 1957) from which came, from his own work and from his stimulation of others, many of the most important accelerator physics developments of the 1950’s. |
| 1989 | Alvin Tollestrup, Martin N. Wilson | For their outstanding achievement in the development of the basic understanding of the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of superconductors and the development of construction methods and quality control for their use in large pulsed high field magnets. This important accomplishment opened the door for the economical construction of high energy particle accelerator facilities such as the Fermilab Tevatron and other machines of even higher energy. |
| 1990 | Kjell Johnsen | For his seminal contributions to the physics, design, construction and performance of the CERN proton Intersecting Storage Rings (ISR). This highly successful and first high energy hadron collider broke the ground for even larger machines of this type which are now in operation or in the planning state, opening new frontiers in particle physics. |
| 1991 | John Reginald Richardson | For his original contributions to the development of cyclotrons. These include the first experimental demonstration of phase stability, the first synchrocyclotron, and the first sector-focused cyclotron. The work is the basis of the numerous cyclotrons that have had and continue to have major impact on nuclear physics, solid state physics, chemistry, and medicine. |
| 1992 | Rolf Wideröe | For his many contributions to accelerator physics and technology beginning in the 1920’s, including the development of betatrons, radio frequency acceleration in linacs and later in synchrotrons. Injection and extraction from circular accelerators and the colliding beam concept. His development of radio frequency acceleration was a fundamental step towards modern accelerators from linacs and synchrotrons to storage rings. |
| 1993 | John P. Blewett | For his many contributions, beginning in the 1930’s to accelerator physics and technology. These contributions include the experimental verification and first indirect observation of synchrotron radiation, the first application of the Alternating Gradient Focusing Concept to linear accelerators, and very many developments in the design and construction of accelerators and storage rings. |
| 1994 | Gustav-Adolf Voss, Thomas L. Collins | For seminal contributions to the principles of optical design that led to the development of high luminosity interaction regions for colliding-beam storage rings. The insight to suggest a simple way of introducing straight sections into otherwise periodic lattices was developed first at the Cambridge Electron Accelerator shortly after the invention of the alternating gradient principle. This important step was followed by the invention of the high-luminosity low-beta scheme. These combined efforts have led to the development of the high luminosity interaction regions of modern colliding-beam storage rings. |
| 1995 | Raphael Littauer | For his many contributions to accelerator technology, in particular his innovative conception and implementation of a mechanism to provide multifold increases in the luminosity of single-ring colliding beam facilities by the establishment of separated orbits of opposing, manу-bunch, particle beams. This work has enabled toe Cornell Electron Storage Ring (CESR) to achieve record luminosities for electron-positron storage rings; the concept has been adopted, equally successfully, at the other high energy physics facilities of the world. |
| 1996 | Albert Josef Hofmann | For his numerous experimental techniques developed to elucidate collective phenomena in accelerators and storage rings; in particular, the experimental determination of beam impedances and methods for controlling the instabilities that limit beam intensities. His theoretical insights and experimental innovations have led directly to higher intensities in many circular accelerators and storage rings for both particle physics and synchrotron radiation production. As a superb teacher and mentor, he has been unfailingly generous in conveying his knowledge and insight to others, especially younger physicists and engineers. |
| 1997 | Andrew Sessler | For a broad range of theoretical and conceptual advances in particle beam dynamics, leading to important accelerator performance improvements; for contributions in the areas of synchrotron rings, including negative mass instability and resistive wall instability, and free electron lasers; for the two-beam accelerator concept; for helping shape the very language of beam physics; and for inspiring and guiding several generations of accelerator scientists and serving as a statesman of science. |
| 1998 | Matthew Sands | For his many contributions to accelerator physics and the development of electron-positron and proton colliders and for his importance as teacher and role model for many generations of scientists. |
| 1999 | Robert Brian Palmer | For his many diverse contributions and innovations in particle accelerator and detector technologies, including superconducting magnets, longitudinal stochastic cooling, bubble chambers and neutrino beam lines, crab crossing in lepton colliders, laser acceleration, and for leadership of the muon collider concept. |
| 2000 | Maury Tigner | For notable contributions to the accelerator field as an inventor, designer, builder, and leader, including early pioneering developments in superconducting radio-frequency systems, inspiration and intellectual leadership for the construction of CESR, and leadership of the SSC Central Design Group. |
| 2001 | Claudio Pellegrini | For his pioneering work in the analysis of instabilities in electron storage rings, and his seminal and comprehensive development of the theory of free electron lasers. |
| 2002 | Alexander N. Skrinsky | For his major contribution to the invention and development of electron cooling and for his development and for his contributions to the physics of the electron-positron colliders at the Budker Institute. |
| 2003 | Helen T. Edwards | For her pivotal achievement and critical contribution as the leader in the design, construction, commissioning and operation of the Tevatron and for her continued contributions to the development of high gradient superconducting linear accelerators as well as bright and intense electron sources. |
| 2004 | John T. Seeman, Katsunobu Oide | For technical leadership and direct contributions to the development of high luminosity B-factories at KEK and SLAC. These machines have set new world records for luminosities in colliding-beam storage rings. |
| 2005 | Keith Symon | For fundamental contributions to accelerator science including the FFAG concept and the invention of the RF phase manipulation technique that was essential to the success of the ISR and all subsequent hadron colliders. |
| 2006 | Glen Lambertson | For fundamental contributions to accelerator science and technology particularly in the area of beam electrodynamics including the development of beam instrumentation for the feedback systems that are essential for the operation of high luminosity electron and hadron colliders. |
| 2007 | Lee C. Teng | For invention of resonant extraction and transition crossing techniques critical to hadron synchrotrons and storage rings, for early and continued development of linear matrix theory of particle beams, and for leadership in the realization of a facility for radiation therapy with protons. |
| 2008 | Lyn Evans | For a sustained career of technical innovation and leadership in the SPS proton-antiproton collider, culminating in the construction and commissioning of the LHC. |
| 2009 | Satoshi Ozaki | For his outstanding contribution to the design and construction of accelerators that has led to the realization of major machines for fundamental science on two continents, and his promotion of international collaboration. |
| 2010 | John Peoples | For critical and enduring efforts in making the Tevatron Collider the outstanding high energy physics accelerator of the last two decades. |
| 2011 | Yaroslav Derbenev | For a broad range of seminal contributions and innovations in beam physics, including theory and control of polarization with "Siberian snakes," electron and ionization cooling, round-to-flat beam transformations, FELs, and electron-ion colliders. |
| 2012 | John Madey | For the invention and first experimental demonstration of the free electron laser and important contributions to its conceptual development. |
| 2013 | John Galayda | For his leadership and outstanding and pioneering contributions to the development, construction and commissioning of the LCLS, the first X-ray FEL to lase at 0.15nm, and his contribution of the Advanced Photon Source and the National Synchrotron Light Source. |
| 2014 | Kwang-Je Kim | For his pioneering theoretical work in synchrotron radiation and free electron lasers that laid the foundation for both third and fourth generation x-ray sources. |
| 2015 | Hasan Padamsee | For his leadership and pioneering world-renowned research in superconducting radiofrequency physics, materials science, and technology, which contributed to remarkable advances in the capability of particle accelerators. |
| 2016 | Vasily Parkhomchuk | For crucial contributions in the proof of principle of electron cooling, for leading contribution to the experimental and theoretical development of electron cooling, and for achievement of the planned parameters of coolers for facilities in laboratories around the world. |
| 2017 | Anton Piwinski, James Bjorken, Sekazi Mtingwa | For the detailed, theoretical description of intrabeam scattering, which has empowered major discoveries in a broad range of disciplines by a wide variety of accelerators, including hadron colliders, damping rings/linear colliders, and low emittance synchrotron light sources. |
| 2018 | Alexander Chao | for insightful, fundamental and broad-ranging contributions to accelerator physics, including polarization, beam-beam effects, nonlinear dynamics, and collective instabilities, for tireless community leadership and for inspiring and educating generations of accelerator physicists. |
| 2019 | Toshiki Tajima | For the invention and leading the first realization of laser wakefield acceleration, which opened the way to compact acceleration applications such as ultrafast radiolysis, brilliant x-rays, intra-operative radiation therapy, wakefield beam dump, and high energy cosmic acceleration. |
| 2020 | Bruce Carlsten | For the discovery and subsequent implementation of emittance compensation in photoinjectors that has enabled the development of high brightness, X-ray free electron lasers such as the Linac Coherent Light Source. |
| 2021 | Yuri Fyodorovich Orlov | For pioneering innovation in accelerator theory and practice, including the independent development of the synchrotron radiation partition sum rule; seminal contributions to the muon g-2 experiment; deep understanding of beam and spin dynamics; consistently unique and fruitful ideas, ranging from the practical to the visionary; and embodying the spirit of scientific freedom. |
| 2022 | G. William Foster, Stephen D. Holmes | For leadership in developing the modern accelerator complex at Fermilab, enabling the success of the Tevatron program that supports rich programs in neutrino and precision physics. |
| 2023 | Alexander J. Dragt Sr. | For pioneering contributions to the development and application of Lie methods in accelerator physics and nonlinear dynamics. |