News Release | For Immediate Release | April 14, 2011
(Vancouver, BC) — The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and TRIUMF are pleased to announce that the 2011 CAP TRIUMF Vogt Medal for Contributions to Subatomic Physics is awarded to Professor David Sinclair, a professor of physics at
Carleton University and senior scientist at TRIUMF, for his exceptional vision and contributions to the study of neutrino physics in the pioneering SNO experiment, and for exemplary leadership in establishing the SNOLab facility.
Upon receiving the good news, Sinclair said, “I am extremely honoured to be selected to receive this award. Canada has such a strong program in sub-atomic physics encompassing the whole spectrum.” Dr. Sinclair has been one of the leaders of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) and it is for his seminal contributions to the design, construction, and operation of SNO that he is awarded the CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medal.
David Sinclair is one of Canada’s most eminent scientists in the field of experimental subatomic physics. He has dedicated much of his research career to solving the “solar neutrino problem,” an apparent deficit in the flux from the sun of difficult-to-detect neutrinos that are an essential end product of the fusion reactions in the solar core. To this end, Dr. Sinclair was one of the founders of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, the experiment that solved this puzzle. The resolution resulted in a significant revision of our understanding of elementary particles with the confirmation that not only do neutrinos have mass but they also change flavor and constitute an important fraction of all matter in the universe. The journal Science cited the SNO results as one of the top 10 breakthroughs in all of science in the years 2001 and 2002.
The CAP-TRIUMF Medal is named in honour of Erich W. Vogt, professor emeritus at UBC, former director of TRIUMF, and
one of the original pioneers of Canada’s primacy in particle and nuclear physics. About the selection of Dr. Sinclair as the
inaugural recipient of the prestigious medal, Professor Vogt said, “I am delighted that this first award is being given to David Sinclair who has been an outstanding leader in the Sudbury Neutrino experiments. The work of David and his colleagues has fundamentally changed the way we think about the universe. It removed that nagging doubt, of forty years, about whether we really understood anything about the production of energy deep inside the Sun. My warmest congratulations to David.”
Dr. Sinclair added on a personal note, “To be selected from this field for the inaugural medal is a very special honour for me. I am particularly pleased that the medal bears Erich Vogt’s name. When I was a graduate student, Erich had already established a reputation as an outstanding scientist and scholar.”
Sinclair has continued his leadership in subatomic physics as SNOLab’s Director of Facility Development. SNOLab will
position Canada at the leading edge of subatomic physics research for years to come. He is currently developing a project called EXO focusing on neutrinos which aims to fundamentally advance our understanding of elementary particles and their
interactions.
Nigel S. Lockyer, director of TRIUMF, said, “I am delighted to launch this prestigious award with CAP; it celebrates Canada’s
strengths in subatomic physics and recognizes those people that have had a global impact on science. David is truly a great physicist and his contributions to science, to other physicists, and to students have been outstanding.”
The purpose of the CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medal is to recognize and encourage outstanding experimental or theoretical
contributions to subatomic physics. While the main criterion for awarding the Vogt medal is the excellence of the research
accomplishments, preference will be given for a recent important advance in subatomic physics and to researchers who are still active. The candidate’s research should have been done primarily in Canada or in affiliation with a Canadian university, industry or government laboratory.
Dr. Sinclair will be presented with the 2011 CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medal for Contributions to Subatomic Physics at the 2011
CAP Congress (hosted by Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s, Newfoundland, from June 13-17) at the end of his plenary talk and will be recognized during the Congress banquet to be held on Thursday, June 16, 2011.
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Media Contacts
TRIUMF
Tim Meyer, Head, Communications
Tel: 604.222.7674
Cell: 650.464.8955
E-mail: Tim Meyer
Canadian Association of Physicists
Francine Ford
Tel: 613-562-5614
E-mail: cap@uottawa.ca
About CAP
The Canadian Association of Physicists, founded in 1945, is a professional association representing over 1600 individual
physicists and physics students in Canada, the U.S. and overseas, as well as a number of Corporate, Institutional, and
Departmental Members. In addition to its learned activities, the CAP also undertakes a number of activities intended to
encourage students to pursue a career in physics.
About TRIUMF
TRIUMF is Canada’s national laboratory for particle and nuclear physics. Located on the south campus of the University of
British Columbia, TRIUMF is owned and operated as a joint venture by a consortium of the following Canadian universities:
University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, Carleton University, University of Guelph,
University of Manitoba, McMaster University, Université de Montréal, University of Northern British Columbia, Queen’s
University, University of Regina, Simon Fraser University, Saint Mary’s University, University of Toronto, University of Victoria, University of Winnipeg, and York University. TRIUMF’s core operations are supported via a contribution through National Research Council Canada with additional funding from CIHR, CFI, NRCan, NSERC, and WD. The Government of British Columbia has provided building capital funds.
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