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The 2023 Nobel Prize for Physics goes to the Frenchman Pierre Agostini of Ohio University, USA), the Austro-Hungarian Ferenc Krausz of the Max Planck Institute in Munich and the French-Swedish Anne L’Huillier of Lund University in Sweden for «experimental methods that generate Actosecond light pulses for studying the dynamics of electrons in matter». This was announced by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm.
According to the commission’s motivations, the three scientists “have demonstrated a way to create extremely short pulses of light that can be used to measure rapid processes in which electrons move or change energy”, providing “new tools for humanity to explore the world of electrons within atoms and molecules. The contributions of the winners – concludes the commission – have made it possible to investigate processes so rapid that previously it was impossible to follow them”.
The prize for medicine, on Monday 2 October, was awarded to the Hungarian-American Katalin Karikó and the American Drew Weissman for the discoveries that allowed the creation of the mRNA vaccines crucial to combating the Covid 19 pandemic.
Last year the Nobel Prize in Physics was won by three scientists for demonstrating that mini particles can maintain a connection with each other even when separated. The Nobel announcements will continue with the chemistry prize on Wednesday 4 October and the literature prize on Thursday 5 October. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday 6 October and that for Economics on Monday 9 October.