Check all the winners of National Medal of Science for Physical Science presented under National Medal of Science since 1963 .
Sidney Drell(For contributions to quantum field theory and quantum chromodynamics, application of science to inform national policies in security and intelligence, and distinguished contributions as an advisor to the United States Government.) |
Sandra Faber(For leadership in numerous path-breaking studies of extra-galactic astronomy and galaxy formation, and for oversight of the construction of important instruments, including the Keck telescopes.) |
Sylvester James Gates(For contributions to the mathematics of supersymmetry in particle, field, and string theories and extraordinary efforts to engage the public on the beauty and wonder of fundamental physics.) |
Yakir Aharonov(For his contributions to the foundations of quantum physics and for drawing out unexpected implications of that field ranging from the Aharonov-Bohm effect to the theory of weak measurement.) |
Esther M. Conwell(For her broad contributions to understanding electron and hole transport in semiconducting materials, which helped to enable commercial applications of semiconductor and organic electronic devices, and for extending her analysis to studying the electronic properties of DNA.) |
Warren M. Washington(For his development and use of global climate models to understand climate and explain the role of human activities and natural processes in the Earths climate system and for his work to support a diverse science and engineering workforce.) |
Berni Alder(For establishing powerful computer methods useful for molecular dynamics simulations, conceiving and executing experimental shock-wave simulations to obtain properties of fluids and solids at very high pressures, and developing Monte Carlo methods for calculating the properties of matter from first principles, all of which contributed to major achievements in the science of condensed matter.) |
James E. Gunn(For his brilliant design of many of the most influential telescopes and instruments in astronomy, and in particular for the crucial role those technological marvels played in the creation of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, which has cataloged 200 million stars, galaxies, and quasars; discovered the most distant known quasars; and probed the epoch of formation of the first stars and galaxies.) |
Charles Pence Slichter(For establishing nuclear magnetic resonance as a powerful tool to reveal the fundamental molecular properties of liquids and solids. His inspired teaching has led generations of physicists and chemists to develop a host of modern technologies in condensed matter physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine.) |
Fay Ajzenberg-Selove(For her pioneering contributions in nuclear physics that have advanced research into many applications, including energy generation from fusion, dating of artifacts, and nuclear medicine; her passion for teaching; and her outstanding service to her profession.) |
Daniel Kleppner(For his pioneering scientific studies of the interaction of atoms and light including Rydberg atoms, cavity quantum electrodynamics, quantum chaos; for developing techniques that opened the way to Bose Einsein Condensation in a gas; and for lucid explanations of physics to nonspecialists and exemplary service to the scientific community.) |
Ralph Asher Alpher(For his unprecedented work in the areas of nucleosynthesis, for the prediction that universe expansion leaves behind background radiation, and for providing the model for the Big Bang theory.) |
Lonnie Thompson(For his pioneering research in paleoclimatology analyzing isotopic and chemical fingerprints found in tropical ice cores from the world's highest mountain glaciers and for his courage in collecting these disappearing climate archives that have transformed our understanding of the natural and anthropogenic factors influencing climate variability on our planet, past and present.) |
Robert N. Clayton(For his contributions to geochemistry and cosmochemistry that provided major insights into the evolution of the solar system through his discovery of non-mass-dependent isotope shifts in meteorites.) |
Brent Dalrymple(For his pioneering work in determining the geomagnetic polarity reversal timescale; a discovery that led to the theory of plate tectonics.) |
Riccardo Giacconi(For his pioneering research in X-ray astronomy and for his leadership of major astronomy facilities.) |
Richard Garwin(In recognition of his research and discoveries in physics and related fields, and of his longstanding service to the Nation by providing valuable scientific advice on important questions of national security over a half a century.) |
W. Jason Morgan(For his development of the theories of plate tectonics and of deep mantle plumes, which revolutionized our understanding of the geological forces that control the earth\u2019s crust and deep interior and consequently influence the evolution of the earth\u2019s life and climate.) |
Edward Witten(For his leadership in a broad range of topics in mathematics and theoretical physics, including attempts to understand the fundamental forces of nature through string theory, and his inspired use of insights from physics to unify apparently disparate areas of mathematics.) |
Raymond Davis, Jr.(For creating the first experiment to measure solar neutrino flux, continuing research on tracking the time dependence of the solar neutrino flux, and creating the new field of neutrino astronomy.) |
Marvin L. Cohen(For his creation and application of a quantum theory for explaining and predicting properties of real materials, which formed the basis for semiconductor physics and nanoscience.) |
Charles David Keeling(For his pioneering and fundamental research on atmospheric and oceanic carbon dioxide, the basis for understanding global carbon cycle and global warming.) |
Willis Lamb(For his towering contributions to classical and quantum theories of laser radiation and quantum optics, and to the proper interpretation of quantum mechanics.) |
Jeremiah P. Ostriker(For his bold astrophysical insights, which have revolutionized concepts of the nature of pulsars, the ecosystem of stars and gas in our Galaxy, the sizes and masses of galaxies, the nature and distribution of dark matter and ordinary matter in the Universe, and the formation of galaxies and other cosmological structures.) |
Gilbert F. White(For outstanding leadership and scientific contributions to geography and other Earth and environmental sciences, and for helping shape cooperative efforts to assess the Nation's floodplain, water use, and natural disaster policies for more than five decades.) |
James Cronin(For his fundamental contributions to the fields of elementary particle physics and astrophysics and his leadership in creating an international effort to determine the unknown origins of very high-energy cosmic rays.) |
Leo Kadanoff(For fundamental theoretical research in the areas of statistical, solid state and nonlinear physics and, in particular, for the development of scaling techniques in these fields.) |
Don L. Anderson(For his leading contributions to understanding the composition, structure, and dynamics of Earth and Earth-like planets, and his influence on the advancement of Earth sciences over the past three decades nationally and internationally.) |
John N. Bahcall(For his fundamental contributions to areas of modern astrophysics ranging from solar neutrino physics to the structure of the Milky Way Galaxy to cosmology, and for his leadership of the astronomical community, especially his tireless advocacy of the Hubble Space Telescope.) |
Marshall Rosenbluth(For his fundamental contributions to plasma physics, his pioneering work in computational statistical mechanics, his world leadership in the development of controlled thermonuclear fusion, and his wide-ranging technical contributions to national security.) |
Martin Schwarzschild(For his seminal contributions to the theory of the evolution of stars, and his creative insights into galactic dynamics which form the basis of much of contemporary astrophysics; and his lifetime of dedication to students. His influence on U.S. astronomy in the second half of this Century is unsurpassed.) |
George Wetherill(For his fundamental contributions to understanding measuring geological time scale and understanding how earth-like planets may be created in evolving solar systems through collisional accumulation of smaller planetary bodies.) |
Wallace Smith Broecker(For his pioneering contributions to the understanding of the cirulcation of the oceans, global carbon cycle, and the record of global climate changes.) |
Hans Georg Dehmelt(For his pioneering achievements in perfecting elecromagnetic traps for precision studies of single ions, electrons, and positrons, culminating in the measurement to unprecedented accuracy of the magnetism of the free electron and positron.) |
Peter Goldreich(For his profound and lasting contributions to planetary sciences and astrophysics, providing fundamental theoretical insights for understanding the rotation of planets, the dynamics of planetary rings, pulsars, astrophysical masers, the spiral arms of galaxies, and the oscillations of the Sun.) |
Albert Overhauser(For his fundamental contributions to understanding the physics of solids, to theoretical physics, and for the impact of his technological advances.) |
Frank Press(For his contributions to the understanding of the deepest interior of the earth and the mitigation of natural disasters, and his service in academia, as a government official, and at the National Academy of Sciences.) |
Val Logsdon Fitch(For his pioneering experiments at the frontiers of physics, from his measurement of the properties of mu-mesons in nuclei to his co-discovery that nature violates a fundamental spacetime symmetry property; and for his leadership on National science policy.) |
Vera Rubin(For her pioneering research programs in observational cosmology which demonstrated that much of the matter in the universe is dark and for significant contributions to the realization that the universe is more complex and more mysterious than had been imagined.) |
Eugene Merle Shoemaker(For his pioneering research and inspiring leadership in the geological exploration of the solar system; for his entrepreneurial creation and direction of the Branch of Astrogeology of the U.S. Geological Survey; and for his research on earth-approaching asteroids and comets and their potential impact effects.) |
Arthur Leonard Schawlow(For his role in the conception of the laser and in advancing its applications, especially in laser spectroscopy.) |
Edward C. Stone(For his outstanding leadership as Project scientist for the Voyager Space Mission and its exploration of the outer Solar System.) |
Steven Weinberg(For his contributions to the discovery of the structure of the fundamental forces of nature; the development of the standard model, and the unification of the weak and electromagnetic forces.) |
Allan McLeod Cormack(For his scientific work including the development of computer assisted tomography; and as a scholar and teacher, especially of undergraduates.) |
Edwin McMillan(For his scientific achievements including the identification of the first transuranic element (neptunium) and the invention of the phase stability principle incorporated in the synchrotron.) |
Robert Pound(For his pioneering experiments in nuclear magnetic resonance, including the study of quadrupole interactions and negative spin temperatures, and for the demonstration of the gravitational shift of Gamma-ray photons.) |
Roger Revelle(For his pioneering work in the areas of carbon dioxide and climate modification, oceanographic exploration presaging plate tectonics, and the biological effects of radiation in the marine environment, and studies of human population growth and global food supplies.) |
Arnold Orville Beckman(For his leadership in the development of analytical instrumentation, and for his deep and abiding concern for the vitality of the Nation's scientific enterprise.) |
Eugene Parker(For his fundamental studies of plasmas, magnetic fields, and energetic particles on all astrophysical scales; for his development of the concept of solar and stellar winds; and for his studies on the effects of magnetic fields on the solar atmosphere.) |
Henry Melson Stommel(For his original, penetrating and fundamental contributions to the physics of ocean circulation.) |
Robert P. Sharp(For his research that has illuminated the nature and origin of the forms and formation processes of planetary surfaces and for teachnig two generations of scientists and laymen to appreciate them; for his recruitment and leadership of a successful multidisciplinary department of earth and planetary scientists who have agined world recognition.) |
David Allan Bromley(For seminal work on nuclear molecules, for development of tandem acfelerators and semi-conductor detectors for charged particles, for his contributions to particle-gamma correlation studies, and for his role in founding the field of precision heavy-ion physics.) |
Chu Ching-wu(For his wide-ranging congributions in achieving stable superconductivity at -290 degrees F, above the critical temperature of liquid nitrogen (-321 degrees F); and for his particiaption in the discovery of another superconducting compound, this one stable at a higher temperature (-243 de4grees F) and not using rare-earth elements.) |
Walter Kohn(For his pioneering fundamental contributions to the theory of the electronic structure of solids, including the effective mass approach to defects in semiconductors, the so-called KKR method of band structure, and, most importantly, the density functional approach to the many-electron problem which has led to great advances in the understanding of bulk solids and solid surfaces.) |
Norman Foster Ramsey, Jr.(For his seminal investigations in broad areas of atomic, molecular, and nuclear physics, and for his dedicated service to the Nation and to the scientific community.) |
Jack Steinberger(For his incisive illumination of the properties of subnuclear particles, including exhaustive measurements of strange particles, neutral kaons, and high energy neutrino interactions.) |
Philip Abelson(For his path-breaking contributions in radiochemistry, physics, geophysics, biophysics, and biochemistry and for his vigorous and penetrating counsel on national matters involving science and technology.) |
Walter M. Elsasser(For his fundamental and lasting contributions to physics, meteorology, and geophysics in establishing quantum mechanics, atmospheric radiation transfer, planetary magnetism and plate tectonics.) |
Paul Lauterbur(For first proposing and demonstrating the use of nuclear magnetic resonance to form images, and for his continuing contributions to the development of this method for safely producing exquisitely detailed images of the interior of the body for use in medical research and clinical diagnosis.) |
George Pake(For his commitment to creative excellence in support of institutional purpose. Whether as a research scientist, physics teacher, university administrator, or corporate executive, every institution he has served has been measurably strengthened by his contributions.) |
James Van Allen(For his central role in the exploration of outer space, including the discoveries of the magnetospheres of Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn.) |
Chen-Ning Yang(For his pathbreaking research in theoretical physics, which he has influenced for many years by his profound questions and deep mathematical insight. His ideas have had great impact not only on theoretical developments but also on experiments in elementary particles and condensed matter.) |
Buchsbaum, Solomon J.(For his wise contributions to national science and technology policy, and for his studies of solid state plasmas.) |
Herman Feshbach(For his distinguished contributions to science as a nationally acclaimed leader in physics education by virtue of his extraordinary interest in teaching and his total commitment to scientific excellence.) |
Robert Hofstadter(For his discovery and development of the sodium iodide scintillation counter leading to its application to spectroscopy in virtually all branches of science and technology, including imaging in medicine, and for his contributions to the understanding of the structure of elementary particles and atomic nuclei stemming from the development of the electron scattering method.) |
H. Richard Crane(For the first measurement of the magnetic moment and spin of free electrons and positrons.) |
Margaret Burbidge(For leadership in observational astronomy. Her spectroscopic investigations have provided crucial information about the chemical composition of stars and the nature of quasistellar objects.) |
Maurice Goldhaber(For his many contributions to all aspects of nuclear physics and more recently particle physics, and for the leadership he has provided the scientific community, as an administrator of science, as a shaper of scientific thought, and as a prolific source of stimulating ideas.) |
Helmut Landsberg(In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge and the applications of climatology, his furtherance of academic achievement and educational programs in the field; and for the exceptional leadership he gave to the climatological sciences and services of the United States government.) |
Walter Munk(For his unique contributions to the sciences of the geophysics and physical oceanography which have led to a better understanding of the earth's rotation, the complexities of ocean waves, tidal processes and acoustic propagation.) |
Frederick Reines(For the experimental discovery of the free neutrino and the elucidation of its properties and interactions and the testing of fundamental conservation laws of physics.) |
Bruno Rossi(For fundamental contributions to physics and astronomy through his investigations into the nature and origin of cosmic rays and his initiatives that led to the direct detection of the solar wind and to the discovery of extrasolar x-ray sources.) |
John Robert Schrieffer(In recognition of his insight into cooperative effects in solids and solid surfaces dependent on interacting many-body systems and for his leadership in showing how one couples formal theoretical work with experimental findings to make significant advances in the area of condensed matter physics.) |
Philip Warren Anderson(For his fundamental and comprehensive contributions to the theoretical understanding of condensed matter.) |
Yoichiro Nambu(For seminal contributions to the understanding of elementary particles and their interactions.) |
Edward Teller(For his outstanding contribution to molecular physics, understanding the origin of stellar energy, the theory and application of fusion reaction, the field of nuclear safety, and for his continued leadership in science and technology.) |
Charles Hard Townes(For fundamental contributions to the understanding of matter through its interaction with electromagnetic radiations and the application of this knowledge to the service of mankind, most notably in the invention of the maser and laser.) |
Richard Feynman(In recognition of his essential contributions to the quantum theory of radiation and to his illumination of behavior of constituents of the atom, of the atomic nucleus, and of the subnuclear particles.) |
Herman Francis Mark(For his contributions to polymer chemistry, and his role in the introduction of polymer science as an academic discipline in the United States.) |
Edward Mills Purcell(For contributions to nuclear magnetic resonance in condensed matter and the measurement of interstellar magnetic fields.) |
Lyman Spitzer(For important contributions to the theory of star formation and evolving stellar systems and plasma physics, including use of fusion as a source of energy.) |
Victor Frederick Weisskopf(For important contributions to our understanding of nuclear matter and nuclear reactions, and early fundamental contributions to our understanding of elementary particles.) |
John H. Sinfelt(For scientific research on the nature of heterogeneous catalysis leading to the development of new catalyst systems for the production of low lead gasoline.) |
George Uhlenbeck(For the major discovery, together with Samuel A. Goudsmit, of the electron spin as a source of a new quantum number.) |
Samuel Goudsmit(For the major discsovery, together with George E. Uhlenbeck, of the electron spin as the source of a new quantum number.) |
Herbert S. Gutowsky(In recognition of pioneering studies in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.) |
Frederick Rossini(For contributions to basic reference knowledge in chemical thermodynamics.) |
Verner E. Suomi(For providing a new view of the dynamics of our atmosphere, which already has brought substantial benefits to the people of this nation and the world.) |
Henry Taube(In recognition of contributions to the understanding of reactivity and reaction mechanisms in inorganic chemistry.) |
Chien-Shiung Wu(For her ingenious experiments that led to new and surprising understanding of the decay of the radioactive nucleus.) |
Hans Bethe(For his explanation of the origin of the sun's heat, his many contributions to our understanding of the atomic nucleus and his counsel in matters involving atomic energy.) |
Joseph O. Hirschfelder(For his fundamental contribution to atomic and molecular quantum mechanics, the theory of the rates of chemical reactions, and the structure and properties of gases and liquids.) |
Lewis Hastings Sarett(For his pioneering contributions to the chemical synthesis of cortisone, steriodal hormones, and other chemotherapeutic agents which have contributed to the benefit of mankind.) |
Edgar Bright Wilson(In recognition of his fundamental theoretical and experimental contribution to our understanding of the structure of molecules.) |
Nicolaas Bloembergen(For pioneering applications of magnetic resonance to the study of condnesed matter and for subsequent scientific investigations and inventions concerning the interaction of amtter with coherent radiation.) |
Paul Flory(For his outstanding contributions to our understanding of the modes of formation and structure of polymeric substances.) |
William Alfred Fowler(For his scientific contributions to nuclear physics and astrophysics, which permitted him to span both disciplines to unravel the nuclear processes that control the evolution of stars.) |
Linus Pauling(For the extraordinary scope and power of his imagination, which has led to basic contributions in such diverse fields as structural chemistry and the nature of chemical bonding, molecular biology, immunology, and the nature of genetic diseases.) |
Kenneth Pitzer(For his pioneering application of statistical thermodynamics and spectroscopy to our understanding of the properties of organic and inorganic materials.) |
Carl Djerassi(In recognition of his major contributions to the elucidation of the complex chemistry of the steroid hormones and to the application of these compounds to medicinal chemistry and population control by means of oral contraceptives.) |
Maurice Ewing(For extending and improving the methods of geology and geophysics to study the ocean floor and to understand the last remaining unexplored province of the solid earth--that which lies under the sea.) |
Arie Jan Haagen-Smit(For his unique contributions to the discovery of the chemical nature and source of smog, and for the successful efforts which he has carried through for smog abatement.) |
Vladimir Haensel(For his outstanding research in the catalytic reforming of hydrocarbons which has greatly enhanced the economic value of our petroleum natural resources.) |
Frederick Seitz(For his pioneering contributions to the foundations of the modern quantum theory of the solid state of matter, and to the understanding of many phenomena and processes that occur in solids.) |
Robert R. Wilson(For unusual ingenuity in designing experiments to explore the fundamental particles of matter and in designing and constructing the machines to produce the particles, culminating in the world's most powerful particle accelerator.) |
Robert H. Dicke(For fashioning radio and light waves into tools of extraordinary accuracy and for decisive studies of cosmology and of the nature of gravitation.) |
Allan Sandage(For bringing the very limits of the universe within the reach of man's awareness and unraveling the evolution fo stars and galaxies--their origins and ages, distances and destinies.) |
John C. Slater(For wide-ranging contributions to the basic theory of atoms, molecules, and matter in the solid form.) |
John Archibald Wheeler(For his basic contributions to our understanding of the nuclei of atoms, exemplified by his theory of nuclear fission, and his own work and stimulus to others on basic questions of gravitational and electromagnetic phenomena.) |
Saul Winstein(In recognition of his many innovative and perceptive contributions to the study of mechanism in organic chemical reactions.) |
Herbert C. Brown(For discovery and exploration of the hydroboration reaction and for developing it into a major and powerful tool in chemical synthesis.) |
Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky(For classic experiments probing the elementary particles of matter and for contributions to advancing the means of experimentation in this challenging field.) |
Eugene Wigner(For his many unique innovations in the physical, mathematical and engineering sciences ranging from quantum chemistry to nuclear theory and from reactor engineering to civil defense.) |
Paul Doughty Bartlett(For his leadership in advancing our understanding of the mechanisms by which chemical reactions take place, and for his success in training younger teachers and researchers.) |
Herbert Friedman(For pioneering work in rocket and satellite astronomy and in particular for his contributions to the field of X-ray astronomy.) |
Lars Onsager(For a brilliant variety of seminal contributions to the understanding of electrolytes and other chemical systems, especially to the thermodynamics of systems in change.) |
Jesse Beams(For sustained and ingenious contributions to the scientific development of high-speed centrifuges, a family of devices that are now widely applied in the physical and biological sciences, in medicine, and in engineering scale isotope-separation.) |
Francis Birch(For outstanding contributions to geophysics which have immeasurably increased our understanding of the composition and the processes of the interior of the earth.) |
Gregory Breit(For pioneering contributions to the theoretical understanding of nuclear structure and particle dynamics, for highly significant work in atomic and ionospheric physics, and for the inspiration he has given to several generations of American physicists.) |
Louis Plack Hammett(For his joining together physical and organic chemistry, creating new concepts, and replacing intuition by rigor in our growing understanding of chemical reactivity.) |
George Kistiakowsky(For contributions to physical chemistry, particularly to the understanding of reaction rates, and for statesmanship in the evolution of relationships between science and public affairs.) |
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar(For numerous superb contributions to stellar astronomy, physics, and applied mathematics, and for his guidance and inspiration to his many students and colleagues.) |
Henry Eyring(For contributions to our understanding of the structure and properties of matter, especially for his creation of absolute rate theory, one of the sharpest tools in the study of rates of chemical reaction.) |
Jacob Bjerknes(By watching and studying maps he discovered the cylone-making waves of the air and the climate-controlling changes of the sea.) |
John Hasbrouck Van Vleck(For his many contributions to the develoment of the theory of molecular structure and for his profound influence, through original contributions and through many brilliant students, on the theory of the magnetic and dielectric properties of materials.) |
Vladimir K. Zworykin(For major contributions to the instruments of science, engineering and television, and for his stimulation of the application fo engineering to medicine.) |
John Bardeen(For his brilliant contributions to the theory of electrical conductivity in solid materials, and especially those which led to the development of a successful theory of superconductivity.) |
Peter Debye(For sustained contributions of major concepts of modern chemistry and especially for the application of physical methods to the understanding of large molecules and their interaction in solution.) |
Leon M. Lederman(For systematic studies of mesons, for his participation in the discovery of two kinds of neutrinos and of parity violation in the decay of mu-mesons.) |
William Walden Rubey(For showing by profoundly original observations and clear physical reasoning how sand grains and mountains move and from whence the oceans come.) |
Robert Burns Woodward(For an imaginative new approach to the synthesis of complex organic molecules and, especially, for [his] brilliant syntheses of strychnine, reserphine, lysergic acid, and chlorophyll.) |
Julian Schwinger(For [his] profound work on the fundamental problems of quantum field theory, and for many contributions to and lucid expositions of nuclear physics and electrodynamics.) |
Harold Urey(For outstanding contributions to our understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system and the origin of life on Earth and for pioneering work in the application of isotopes to the determination of the temperatures of ancient oceans.) |
Luis Walter Alvarez(For his inspiring leadership in experimental high energy physics, continuing development of the bubble chamber, discovery of many states of elementary particles, and his contributions to National defense.) |
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