Ann Nelson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ann Nelson
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| Born |
Ann Elizabeth Nelson
April 29, 1958 Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Died | August 4, 2019 (aged 61) Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington, U.S.
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| Nationality | United States |
| Alma mater | Harvard University Stanford University |
| Awards | Guggenheim Fellowship (2004) Sakurai Prize (2018) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Particle physics |
| Doctoral advisor | Howard Georgi |
Ann Elizabeth Nelson (born April 29, 1958 – died August 4, 2019) was a brilliant scientist. She was a particle physicist and a professor at the University of Washington. She worked there from 1994 until her death.
Ann Nelson won many important awards for her work. In 2004, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship. She was also chosen to be part of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2011. A year later, in 2012, she joined the National Academy of Sciences. One of her biggest achievements was winning the 2018 J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics. This award is given every year by the American Physical Society. It is considered one of the most important prizes in physics.
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Ann Nelson's Education
Ann Nelson was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She loved learning about science from a young age. She went to Stanford University and earned her first degree in 1980. After that, she continued her studies at Harvard University. In 1984, she earned her Ph.D. degree. Her main teacher and guide during her Ph.D. was a scientist named Howard Georgi.
Ann Nelson's Career Journey
After finishing her Ph.D., Ann Nelson worked as a research fellow at Harvard from 1984 to 1987. Then, in 1987, she became a professor at Stanford University. In 1990, she moved to UC San Diego. Finally, in 1994, she moved to the University of Washington. She stayed there for the rest of her career, teaching and doing important research.
Amazing Discoveries and Theories
Ann Nelson and her fellow scientists worked on many exciting theories. These theories help us understand the universe better. Here are some of the big ideas she helped create:
- The Nelson-Barr mechanism: This theory tries to solve a puzzle in physics called the "strong CP problem." Ann Nelson and another scientist, Stephen Barr, came up with this idea independently in 1984.
- Matter and Anti-matter: She developed a theory about why there is more matter than anti-matter in the universe. This is called the "spontaneous violation of CP symmetry."
- Neutron Stars: She studied what happens inside very dense stars called neutron stars. Her theory suggests that certain particles called kaon mesons can form a special state called a Bose–Einstein condensate in these stars.
- Origin of Matter: Ann Nelson also helped explain how matter might have formed in the early universe. This is part of a theory called electroweak baryogenesis.
- Supersymmetry: She worked on a theory called "gauge-mediated supersymmetry breaking." This helps explain how a concept called supersymmetry might work in our universe.
- The Little Higgs theory: This theory tries to explain why a special particle called the Higgs boson is relatively light.
- Accelerons and Dark Energy: She developed the idea of "accelerons." This theory connects the tiny masses of particles called neutrinos to something called cosmological dark energy. Dark energy is what makes the universe expand faster and faster.
Ann Nelson's Life Outside Work
Ann Nelson was married to David B. Kaplan, who was also a physics professor at the University of Washington. She had two children.
Ann was very active in her community. Since 1994, she was a member of The Mountaineers club in Seattle. This club helps people enjoy and protect the outdoors.
She also cared deeply about equal rights. In 1980, she protested against Apartheid in South Africa. She wore a special ribbon at her graduation to show her support. In 2017, she gave physics lectures in Palestine. She did this to support fairness and encourage more people, especially women, to join science fields around the world. She strongly believed in having more women in physics research.
Her Passing
On August 4, 2019, Ann Nelson was hiking Iron Cap Mountain with her husband and two friends. Sadly, she lost her footing and passed away after falling.
