John Ellis (physicist, born 1946) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Ellis
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| Born | 1 July 1946 Hampstead, London, England, UK
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| Nationality | British-Swiss |
| Alma mater | King's College, Cambridge |
| Known for | Proposing how to discover the gluon and the Higgs boson
Popularizing the term "Theory of Everything" |
| Awards | Mayhew Prize (1968) Maxwell Medal and Prize (1982) Paul Dirac Medal and Prize (2005) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Particle physics |
| Institutions | King's College London CERN |
| Thesis | Approximate symmetries of hadrons |
| Doctoral advisor | Bruno Renner |
Jonathan Richard "John" Ellis is a famous British-Swiss theoretical physicist. He was born on July 1, 1946. He is known for his important work in particle physics, which studies the smallest pieces that make up everything in the universe.
John Ellis went to King's College, Cambridge and earned his PhD in particle physics in 1971. He then worked at CERN, a huge science lab in Switzerland. He spent most of his career there, helping to lead research and explore new ideas. Since 2010, he has also been a professor at King's College London.
At CERN, John Ellis did more than just research. He helped manage the theory division. He also served on committees that chose which experiments would run at big particle accelerators like the LEP and the LHC. He even advised CERN's leaders on working with countries outside Europe.
Contents
What Does a Particle Physicist Do?
John Ellis's research mainly focuses on how particle physics connects to experiments. He helps understand what scientists find when they smash tiny particles together. He also explores what new physics future machines could discover.
He was one of the first scientists to combine particle physics with cosmology, which is the study of the universe. This new area is now called particle astrophysics.
Finding New Particles
In 1976, John Ellis and his team suggested a way to find the Higgs boson. This particle gives other particles their mass. They called this method "Higgs-strahlung." It was the best way to search for the Higgs boson at the LEP accelerator.
That same year, he also suggested a way to find the gluon. Gluons are particles that hold quarks together inside protons and neutrons. He called this method "glue-strahlung."
A year later, he predicted the mass of the bottom quark. This was before scientists had even seen this quark in experiments! He based his prediction on something called the Grand Unified Theory. This theory tries to combine all the fundamental forces of nature.
Exploring Supersymmetry and Dark Matter
In the 1980s, John Ellis became a big supporter of supersymmetry models. Supersymmetry is a theory that suggests every known particle has a "superpartner."
He showed that the lightest supersymmetric particle could be a natural candidate for dark matter. Dark matter is a mysterious substance that scientists believe makes up a large part of the universe. We can't see it, but we know it's there because of its gravity.
He also helped analyze "benchmark scenarios" for supersymmetry. These scenarios help scientists understand what they might find when looking for supersymmetric particles.
Looking at Quantum Gravity
John Ellis has also explored how to test ideas about quantum gravity and string theory. Quantum gravity tries to combine gravity with quantum mechanics. String theory suggests that tiny strings are the basic building blocks of the universe.
His work on testing if the speed of light is always constant won awards. His ideas about how string theory might explain the universe's beginning also received prizes.
After the Higgs Boson Discovery
In 2012, scientists finally discovered the Higgs boson. John Ellis and his student analyzed its properties. Their work helped confirm that it was indeed the Higgs boson.
More recently, he has been involved in the AION project in the UK. This project uses special tools called atom interferometers. They hope to search for very light dark matter and gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are ripples in space and time.
John Ellis has written over 1,000 scientific papers. His work has been cited by other scientists more than 120,000 times. This shows how important and influential his research has been in the world of physics.
Building Big Machines for Tiny Particles
Besides his research, John Ellis has strongly supported building powerful particle accelerators. These huge machines help scientists study particles by smashing them together. He supported projects like LEP and LHC. He also supports future accelerators like the CLIC and the FCC.
His theoretical work often helped guide these projects. For example, he showed how data from early accelerators could predict the masses of other particles, like the top quark and the Higgs boson.
He played a key role in planning the physics experiments for the LHC. He has written many articles about searching for the Higgs boson and supersymmetric particles at the LHC. He writes for both scientists and the general public.
John Ellis is currently a strong supporter of the FCC. This is a plan for an even bigger and more powerful particle collider in the future.
Awards and Recognitions
John Ellis has received many awards and honors for his contributions to science:
- 1968: Mayhew Prize
- 1982: Maxwell Medal
- 1985: Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of London (a very prestigious science academy)
- 1991: Elected Fellow of the Institute of Physics
- 1999 and 2005: First Award in the Gravity Research Foundation essay competition
- 2005: Paul Dirac Prize of the Institute of Physics
- 2012: Made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to science and technology
- Since 1994: Has received 12 honorary doctorates and fellowships from universities around the world.
Sharing Science with the World
John Ellis loves to share his knowledge with others. He often gives public talks about particle physics in several languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, and English. He also gives talks to students and teachers who visit CERN.
He is well-known for helping countries outside Europe get involved in CERN's scientific work. He has worked with scientists, university leaders, and government officials from many different countries. This includes major partners like the United States and Japan, as well as countries with newer physics programs. His efforts have helped make CERN a truly international place for science.
