Masatoshi Koshiba and Cosmic Neutrinos
Resources with Additional
Information
Courtesy of
Sebastian Brandt
'The 2002 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to … Masatoshi Koshiba of the International Center for Elementary Particle Physics at the University of Tokyo in Japan, … "for pioneering contributions to astrophysics, in particular for the detection of cosmic neutrinos." …
Neutrinos are important in astrophysics since they might have played a considerable role in shaping early galaxies; they are the form of energy coming directly from the solar core; and they account for the largest share of energy released during supernova explosions.…'1
…Koshiba, professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo, received his doctorate from the University of Rochester in [1955]. This year [2000], he is the co-recipient of the Wolf Prize in Physics, considered second only to the Nobel Prize in prestige, for his discovery that neutrinos have mass. Neutrinos are tiny particles smaller than atoms, and Koshiba's discovery is being hailed for its ramifications in the study of astronomical objects and the fundamental properties of matter, helping scientists to understand the birth of the universe. Koshiba started his career as a research associate at the University of Rochester, then went on to teach at the University of Tokyo." 2
"[Koshiba] retired in 1987. He is perhaps best known for masterminding the Kamiokande detector -- a giant underground facility filled with water to catch the elusive neutrinos emitted from the Sun, confirming our understanding of the nuclear reactions that power stars. His work helped launch a new field of research, neutrino-astronomy." 3
Additional information about Masatoshi Koshiba and cosmic neutrinos is available in electronic documents and on the Web.
Documents:
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Additional Web Pages:
Alumnus Wins Nobel, Rochester Review, Vol. 65, No. 2
Focus: Nobel Focus: Neutrino and X-ray Vision, American Physical Society (APS)
Nobel Lecture by Masatoshi Koshiba, nobelprize.org (video)
Masatoshi Koshiba - Detection of Cosmic Neutrinos, vega.org (video)
Interview with Riccardo Giacconi, Masatoshi Koshiba and Raymond Davis Jr., nobelprize.org (video)
Oral History Transcript -- Dr. Masatoshi Koshiba, American Institute of Physics (AIP)
2002 W.K.H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics Recipient, American Physical Society (APS)
Masatoshi Koshiba, Ph. D., Franklin Laureate, The Franklin Institute
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