American Physical Society’s 2019 Hans A. Bethe Prize goes to Ken’ichi Nomoto

October 24,  2018
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe (Kavli IPMU)

 

Ken'ichi Nomoto, a Senior Scientist at the Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, has been awarded the 2019 Hans A. Bethe Prize, it was announced by the American Physical Society on October 24.

The award recognizes outstanding work in theory, experiment or observation in the areas of astrophysics, nuclear physics, nuclear astrophysics, or closely related fields, and is presented annually.

Nomoto, who has been a leader in the field of astronomy, was previously a Project Professor and Principal Investigator at Kavli IPMU until 2017 and Hamamatsu Professor in 2014 - 2017. The 2019 Selection Committee awarded Nomoto with this year's award for his “lasting contributions to our understanding of the nuclear astrophysics of the universe, including stellar evolution, the synthesis of new elements, the theory of core-collapse and thermonuclear supernovae, and gamma-ray bursts.”
 

The Hans A. Bethe Prize was established in 1998, and is endowed by contributions from the American Physical Society's Division of Astrophysics, the Division of Nuclear Physics, and friends Hans A. Bethe to honor him for his outstanding and numerous accomplishments in both astrophysics and nuclear physics. Bethe's work on nuclear reactions led to the discovery of the reactions that supply the energy in stars, for which he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1967.

The astronomer says, "It is truly a great honor to receive the Hans A. Bethe Prize. I remember quite well that I very much enjoyed discussing with Hans Bethe on core-collapse supernovae. I would like to thank many students, postdocs, local and oversea researchers for their collaborative work, which leads to this prize. Nuclear astrophysics is an exciting field that keeps expanding and I hope to continue contributing to this field."

An award ceremony will be held during the next American Physical Society April Meeting in Denver, Colorado, in April 2019.

 

 

Research contacts
Ken'ichi Nomoto
Senior Scientist
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe
TEL: +81-04-7136-6567
E-mail: nomoto_at_astron.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp
* please change _at_ to @

Media contact
Motoko Kakubayashi
Press officer
Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe
University of Tokyo
TEL：+81-04-7136-5980
E-mail：press_at_ipmu.jp
* please change _at_ to @

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Related links
Spring 2019 American Physical Society Prizes and Awards Announced (APS press release)
About the Hans A. Bethe Prize
Ken’ichi Nomoto’s profile
Ken’ichi Nomoto’s website