UC Santa Cruz physicists Stefania Gori and Wolfgang Altmannshofer were honored by the International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) at a July 14 ceremony in Beijing with a Frontiers of Science Award in the category of particle-physics phenomenology. The associate professors were awarded for their 2014 paper in Physical Review Letters, "Neutrino Trident Production: A Powerful Probe of New Physics with Neutrino Beams."
Now in its second year, ICBS presents the Frontiers of Science Award "to encourage young scholars to look to the frontiers of basic science, set goals to obtain breakthrough results as early as possible, and contribute wisdom and energy to humankind's study of the mysteries of the natural world." For this year's selection, scientific works in both basic and applied research were chosen in 42 areas of three basic fields: mathematics, theoretical physics, and theoretical computer and information sciences.
Gori and Altmannshofer each received a trophy and certificate, and will share a $25,000 prize with another author of their 2014 paper. For this award, ICBS invites researchers worldwide to nominate candidates who a panel of renowned experts reviews and then creates a shortlist for each research area. ICBS then empanels an international committee to decide the winners.
While relatively new, ICBS is making strides in fostering scientific dialogue and cooperation, drawing notable attendees like Nobel laureate David Gross and prominent researchers from prestigious institutions in the United States and abroad. ICBS is funded and hosted by the Beijing City government and several Chinese governmental bodies, including its national Ministry of Science and Technology, the China Association for Science and Technology, and the Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Application.
Both Gori and Altmannshofer said they were honored to receive the award and be recognized for their work. "It is a privilege to have our work recognized among outstanding contributions in the field of physics, mathematics, and theoretical computer science," said Gori, who gave a talk at the awards ceremony about their 2014 paper. Their work is related to experimental searches first initiated in the mid 1980s with leading contributions from Bruce Schumm, distinguished professor of physics at UC Santa Cruz.
