George Smoot

Biography

Abstract

George Smoot is Research Physicist at the University of California, Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory (1971-present). Other institutional affiliations include Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Ewha Womans University's Institute for the Early University. Smoot conducts research in astrophysics and observational cosmology, including on the cosmic background radiation. In 2006, Smoot and John C. Mather won the Nobel Prize in Physics "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation."

Important Dates

February 20, 1945Birth, Jacksonville (Fla.).

1966Obtained BS in Physics and Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1970Obtained PhD in Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge (Mass.).

1971 – presentResearch Physicist, Space Sciences Laboratory (1971-present); Member, Center for Particle Astrophysics (1988-2000); Member, Advisory Committee, Radio Astronomy Laboratory (1990-1998); Professor of Physics (1994-present); Member, Advisory Committee, Space Sciences Laboratory (1996-present); and Director, Berkeley Center for Cosmological Physics (2007-present), University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley (Calif.).

1974 – presentResearch Physicist, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley (Calif.).

1975 – 1997Member, Steering Group, Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

1982 – 1990Member, Advisory Committee, White Mountain Research Station, University of California.

2006Awarded Nobel Prize in Physics with John C. Mather "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation".

2008Member, National Academy of Sciences.

2008 – presentDirector, Institute for the Early Universe, Ewha Womans University, South Korea.

Occupation

Astrophysicist.

Places

Birth

Jacksonville (Fla.)

Undergraduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Graduate Education

Cambridge (Mass.)

Employment

Berkeley (Calif.)

Subjects

Astrophysics.

Big bang theory.

Cosmic background radiation.

Cosmology.

Relationships

People

Family

Smoot, George F. (George Fitzgerald), 1922-

Father.

Smoot, Maxine

Wife.

Smoot, Sharon

Sister.

Smoot, Talicia

Mother.

Advisors & Collaborators

Frisch, David H.

PhD advisor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), "Charge exchange of K on platinum at three GeV/c."

Mather, John C.

Co-won 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics "for their discovery of the blackbody form and anisotropy of the cosmic microwave background radiation."

Colleagues

Alvarez, Luis W., 1911-1988

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Bialek, William S.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Birge, Raymond T. (Raymond Thayer), 1887-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Birgeneau, Robert J. (Robert Joseph), 1942-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Chamberlain, O. (Owen)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Chemla, D. S.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Chu, Steven

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Clarke, John, 1942-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Clauser, John F. (John Francis), 1942-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Cohen, Marvin L.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Commins, Eugene D.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Davis, J. C. Séamus

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Dynes, Robert C.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Falcone, Roger W.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Falicov, L. M. (Leopoldo Maximo), 1933-1995

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Freedman, Stuart J.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Gaillard, Mary K.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Goldhaber, Gerson

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Hahn, E. L. (Erwin Louis), 1921-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Haxton, Wick C.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Hellman, Frances

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Helmholz, August Carl, 1915-2003

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Jacak, Barbara

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Jackson, John David, 1925-2016

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Jeffries, C. D., 1922-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Kahn, Steven Michael

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Kittel, Charles

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Lange, Andrew

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Loeb, Leonard B. (Leonard Benedict), 1891-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Louie, Steven G., 1949-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Mandelstam, Stanley

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

McKee, Christopher, 1942-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

McMillan, Edwin M. (Edwin Mattison), 1907-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Perlmutter, Saul

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Price, Paul Buford

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Randall, Lisa

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Reynolds, John Hamilton, 1923-2000

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Richards, Paul L. (Paul Linford)

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Segrè, Emilio

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Shapiro, Marjorie

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Shen, Y. R.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Steiner, Herbert M.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Stubbs, Christopher

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Teller, Edward, 1908-2003

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Tinkham, Michael

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Townes, Charles H.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Trilling, George H.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Watson, Kenneth M.

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Zumino, B. (Bruno), 1923-

Both employed at University of California, Berkeley.

Institutions

Major Positions

Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory

Research Physicist.

University of California, Berkeley. Department of Physics

Professor of Physics.

University of California, Berkeley. Space Sciences Laboratory

Research Physicist and Member, Advisory Committee.

Professional Activities & Affiliations

Ihwa Yŏja Taehakkyo

Director, Institute for the Early Universe.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Physics

Obtained BS (1966) and PhD (1970).

National Academy of Sciences (U.S.)

Member.

United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Member, Steering Group, Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite.

White Mountain Research Station (University of California, Los Angeles)

Member, Advisory Committee.

Resources

Archival Resources

Author

Gravity Research Foundation essays and abstracts, 1949-2015.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

LBL Physics Division Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) records of George Smoot, 1975-1995.

Archives and Records Office

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

One Cyclotron Road, Bldg. 69-107, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

LBL Physics Division oversize scientific files of George Smoot, 1989.

Archives and Records Office

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

One Cyclotron Road, Bldg. 69-107, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

LBL Physics Division scientific papers of George Smoot, 1975-2007.

Archives and Records Office

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

One Cyclotron Road, Bldg. 69-107, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

LBL Physics Division technical documents of George Smoot, 1980-1995.

Archives and Records Office

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

One Cyclotron Road, Bldg. 69-107, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA

Subject

American Institute of Physics Physics Today division Bertram Schwarzschild Nobel Prize files, 1954-2013.

Niels Bohr Library & Archives

American Institute of Physics

One Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740, USA

Published Resources

Author

George Smoot: The design of the universe

Nobel Prize Autobiography.

Nobel Prize in Physics: George F. Smoot

Wrinkles in time / George Smoot and Keay Davidson.