Physicist Thorndike earns top prize

Thorndike

College physicist Edward Thorndike has won the American Physical Society's 1999 W. K. H. Panofsky Prize in Experimental Particle Physics. Thorndike was honored for his research that has played a pivotal role in shaping our current understanding of how a few tiny particles known as quarks and leptons combine to form everything in the universe. The award recognizes Thorndike's nearly 20-year study of the "b" or "bottom" quark, one of 12 basic particles.

Considered to be a leading expert on the b quark, Thorndike established how the particle is made and how it transforms itself into lighter quarks. He conducts much of his research at the Cornell Electron-positron Storage Ring. CESR is a particle accelerator built 60 feet beneath a soccer field at Cornell University that's known among scientists as a "B Factory" for its proficiency at producing the exotic particles.

To observe as many b quarks as possible, the physicists use an electron synchrotron to accelerate lightweight electrons and positrons, the positively charged antimatter equivalents of electrons, to nearly the speed of light before injecting them into the storage ring. The two streams of particles pass through each other more than a million times per second. Eventually, an electron and a positron crash into each other, creating a burst of energy that gives rise to much heavier particles containing b quarks. Sensitive particle detectors record the paths and energy of the particles, and sophisticated computer software helps physicists analyze the results.

Thorndike has been intrigued by the smallest forms of matter since his days as a graduate student at Harvard University. "Curiosity drives me to ask questions about the b quarks," said Thorndike. "What are they there for? How do they behave? It's impossible to know where the answers will lead; that's what makes it so interesting. Particle physics is a lot like mountain climbing. It's the pursuit or challenge of it that draws you in. You'll find that a disproportionate number of physicists hike or climb mountains."

Thorndike joined the College in 1961 and established his own research program. In 1969, he won a National Science Foundation senior postdoctoral fellowship, enabling him to study at the European Center for Nuclear Research in Geneva, Switzerland.

The APS Division of Particles and Fields will present Thorndike with a certificate and gift of $5,000 at its centennial meeting in March in Atlanta. The annual award, one of the highest given to an experimental physicist, was established in 1985 in honor of W. K. H. Panofsky, a former director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center at Stanford University.