Hughes Medal

Royal Society of London award

The Hughes Medal is awarded by the Royal Society of London for original discoveries in electricity and magnetism or their applications.[1]

Avers of Hughes Medal
J.J. Thomson, who won the first medal in 1902 "for his numerous contributions to electric science, especially in reference to the phenomena of electric discharge in gases"

The medal was first given to J.J. Thomson in 1902 "for his numerous contributions to electric science, especially in reference to the phenomena of electric discharge in gases". It has been awarded over a hundred times. At first it was awarded annually, now it is every two years.

Unlike some other Royal Society medals, the Hughes Medal has never been awarded to the same person more than once. Only one woman has won it: Michele Dougherty in 2008, who was awarded the medal "for innovative use of magnetic field data that led to discovery of an atmosphere around one of Saturn's moons and the way it revolutionised our view of the role of planetary moons in the Solar System".[1]

The medal has been awarded to more than one person at once; in 1938 it was won by John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton "for their discovery that nuclei could be disintegrated by artificially produced bombarding particles",[2] in 1981 by Peter Higgs, Thomas Walter and Tom W. B. Kibble "for their international contributions about the spontaneous breaking of fundamental symmetries in elementary-particle theory",[2] in 1982 by Drummond Matthews and Frederick Vine for explaining the magnetic properties of the ocean floors which then led to the plate tectonic hypothesis, and in 1988 by Archibald Howie and M.J. Whelan for their work on the theory of electron diffraction and microscopy, and its use in the study of lattice defects in crystals.[2]

List of recipients

change
Year Name Reason for winning Notes
1902 Joseph John Thomson for his many contributions to electric science, especially electric discharge in gases [3]
1903 Johann Wilhelm Hittorf for his experiments on electric discharge in liquids and gases [4]
1904 Joseph Swan for his invention of the incandescent lamp, and his other inventions and improvements in the practical uses of electricity [5]
1905 Augusto Righi for his research in electrical science, including electric vibrations [6]
1906 Hertha Ayrton for her experiments on the electric arc, and also on sand ripples [7]
1907 Ernest Howard Griffiths for his work on exact physical measurement [8]
1908 Eugen Goldstein for his discoveries about electric discharge in rarefied gases [9]
1909 Richard Glazebrook for his research on electrical standards [10][11]
1910 John Ambrose Fleming for his research in electricity and electrical measurements [12]
1911 Charles Wilson "for his work on nuclei in dust-free air, and his work on ions in gases and atmospheric electricity" [13]
1912 William Duddell for his work in technical electricity [14]
1913 Alexander Graham Bell for his part in the invention of the telephone, and especially the construction of the telephone receiver [15]
1914 John Sealy Townsend for his research on electric induction in gases [16]
1915 Paul Langevin for his work on electrical science [17]
1916 Elihu Thomson for his research in experimental electricity [18]
1917 Charles Barkla for his research on X-ray radiation [19]
1918 Irving Langmuir for his research in molecular physics [20]
1919 Charles Chree "for his researches in terrestrial magnetism" [21]
1920 Owen Richardson for his work in experimental physics, and thermionics [22]
1921 Niels Bohr "for his research in theoretical physics" [23]
1922 Francis William Aston "for his discovery of isotopes of a large number of the elements by using positive rays" [24]
1923 Robert Millikan for his work on the electronic charge and of other physical constants [25]
1924 zzzzNot awarded  —
1925 Frank Edward Smith for his work on fundamental electrical units and for research in technical electricity [26]
1926 Henry Jackson for his pioneer work in the scientific investigations of radiotelegraphy and its use for navigation [27]
1927 William Coolidge "for his work on the X-rays and the development of highly efficient apparatus for their production" [28]
1928 Maurice de Broglie "for his work on X-ray spectra" [29]
1929 Hans Geiger "for his invention and development of methods of counting alpha and beta particles" [30]
1930 Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman "for his studies on the abnormal scattering of light" [31]
1931 William Lawrence Bragg for his pioneer work on explaining crystal structure by using X-ray analysis [32]
1932 James Chadwick for his research on radioactivity [33]
1933 Edward Victor Appleton for his research into the effect of the Heaviside layer upon sending wireless signals [34]
1934 Manne Siegbahn "for his work as a physicist and technician on long-wave X-rays" [35]
1935 Clinton Davisson "for his research that resulted in the discovery of the physical existence of electron waves through long-continued investigations on the reflection of electrons from the crystal planes of nickel and other metals" [36]
1936 Walter H. Schottky "for his discovery of the Schrot Effect in thermionic emission and his invention of the screen-grid tetrode and a superheterodyne method of receiving wireless signals" [37]
1937 Ernest Lawrence for his work on the development of the cyclotron and its use to study nuclear disintegration [38]
1938 John Cockcroft and Ernest Walton for their discovery that nuclei could be disintegrated by artificially produced bombarding particles [39]
1939 George Paget Thomson for his important discoveries about the diffraction of electrons by matter [40]
1940 Arthur Compton "for his discovery of the Compton Effect; and for his work on cosmic rays" [41]
1941 Nevill Mott for his use of quantum theory in physics, especially nuclear and collision theory, the theory of metals and in the theory of photographic emulsions [42]
1942 Enrico Fermi for his work on the electrical structure of matter, quantum theory, and his experimental studies of the neutron
1943 Marcus Oliphant for his work in nuclear physics and mastery of methods of generating and applying high potentials [43]
1944 George Finch for his fundamental study of the structure and properties of surfaces, and for his work on the electrical ignition of gases [44]
1945 Basil Schonland for his work on atmospheric electricity and of other physical researches [45]
1946 John Randall for his research into fluorescent materials and into the production of high frequency electro-magnetic radiation
1947 Frédéric Joliot-Curie for his work in nuclear physics, particularly the discovery of artificial radioactivity and of neutron emission in the fission process [46]
1948 Robert Watson-Watt for his work on atmospheric physics and to the development of radar
1949 Cecil Powell for his work on the photography of particle tracks, and the discovery of mesons and their transformation [47]
1950 Max Born for his contributions to theoretical physics in general and to the development of quantum mechanics [48]
1951 Hendrik Kramers for his work on the quantum theory, and its use in the study of optical and magnetic properties of matter
1952 Philip Dee for his work on the disintegration of atomic nuclei, particularly those using the Wilson cloud chamber technique
1953 Edward Bullard for his work, both theoretical and experimental, of the physics of the Earth [49]
1954 Martin Ryle for his experiments in radio astronomy [50]
1955 Harrie Massey for his work on atomic and molecular physics, especially collisions involving the production and recombination of ions
1956 Frederick Lindemann for his work in many fields: the meting point formula and theory of specific heats; ionisation of stars; meteors and temperature inversion in the stratosphere [51]
1957 Joseph Proudman for his work on dynamical oceanography [52]
1958 Edward da Costa Andrade for his work in many branches of classical physics
1959 Brian Pippard for his work in the field of low temperature physics
1960 Joseph Pawsey for his work on radio astronomy both in the study of solar and of cosmic ray emission
1961 Alan Cottrell for his work on the physical properties of metals, particularly mechanical deformation and the effects of irradiation [53]
1962 Brebis Bleaney for his study of electrical and magnetic phenomena and their link with atomic and molecular properties [54]
1963 Frederic Williams for work on early computers
1964 Abdus Salam for his work on quantum mechanics and the theory of fundamental particles [55]
1965 Denys Wilkinson for his experiments and study of nuclear structure and high energy physics
1966 Nicholas Kemmer for his many important discoveries in theoretical nuclear physics [56]
1967 Kurt Mendelssohn for his work on cryophysics, and his discoveries in superconductivity and superfluidity [57]
1968 Freeman Dyson for his work in theoretical physics, and quantum electrodynamics [58]
1969 Nicholas Kurti for his work in low-temperature physics and thermodynamics" [59]
1970 David Bates for his work on theoretical atomic and molecular physics and its use in studying atmospheric physics, plasma physics and astrophysics [60]
1971 Robert Hanbury Brown for his work in developing a new form of stellar interfrometer, and in his observations of alpha virginis [61]
1972 Brian David Josephson for his discovery of the remarkable properties of junctions between superconducting materials [62]
1973 Peter Hirsch for his work on the development of the electron microscope thin film technique for the study of crystal defects and its use in a wide range of problems in materials science and metallurgy [63]
1974 Peter Fowler for his work on cosmic ray and elementary particle physics [64]
1975 Richard Dalitz for his work on the development of the electron microscope thin film technique for the study of crystal defects and its use to study problems in materials science and metallurgy [65]
1976 Stephen Hawking for his work on using general relativity to study astrophysics, and the behaviour of highly condensed matter [66]
1977 Antony Hewish for his work in radio astronomy, including the discovery and identification of pulsars [67]
1978 William Cochran for his pioneering work in X-ray crystallography, and for his original work in lattice dynamics and its relation to phase transitions [68]
1979 Robert Joseph Paton Williams for his studies of the conformations of computer molecules in solution by the use of nuclear magnetic resonance [69]
1980 Francis Farley for his ultra-precise measurements of the muon magnetic moment, a severe test of quantum electrodynamics and of the nature of the muon"
1981 Peter Higgs, Thomas Walter and Bannerman Kibble for their work on the spontaneous breaking of fundamental symmetries in elementary-particle theory [70]
1982 Drummond Matthews and Frederick Vine for their explanation of the magnetic properties of the ocean floors which led to the plate tectonic hypothesis [71]
1983 John Ward for his important and original work on quantum field theory, the Ward identity and the Salam-Ward theory of weak interactions [72]
1984 Roy Kerr for his work on relativity, and his important discovery of the so-called Kerr Black Hole [73]
1985 Tony Skyrme for his work on theoretical particle and nuclear physics, and his discovery that particle-like entities simulating the properties of baryons can occur in non-linear meson field theories
1986 Michael Woolfson "for the creation of algorithms including MULTAN and SAYTAN which are used world-wide to solve the majority of reported crystal structures"
1987 Michael Pepper for his many important experiments into the fundamental properties of semiconductors in low-dimensional systems, where he has explained some of their unusual properties like electron localization and the Quantum Hall effects
1988 Archibald Howie and M.J. Whelan for their work on the theory of electron diffraction and microscopy, and its use to study lattice defects in crystals
1989 John Stewart Bell for his work on our understanding of the structure and interpretation of quantum theory, showing the unique nature of its predictions [74]
1990 Thomas George Cowling for his work on theoretical astrophysics including original theoretical studies of the role of electromagnetic induction in cosmic systems [75]
1991 Philip Moon for his work in three main areas of science — nuclear physics, the discovery of gamma-ray resonances, and the use of colliding molecular beams to study chemical reactions [76]
1992 Michael Seaton for his theoretical research in atomic physics and leadership of the Opacity Project [72]
1993 George Isaak "for his pioneering use of resonant scattering techniques to make extremely precise measures of Doppler velocity shifts in the solar photosphere" [77]
1994 Robert G. Chambers for his work on solid-state physics, and his ingenious and technically demanding experiment which proved the Ahoronov-Bohm effect on the behaviour of charged particles in magnetic fields
1995 David Shoenberg for his work on the electronic structure of solids, using low temperature techniques, and the De Haas Van Alphen effect, defining the Fermi surface of many metals
1996 Amyand Buckingham for his work in chemical physics on long-range intermolecular forces, non-linear optics, problems related to the polarizability of the helium atom, the interpretation of NMR spectra, and the uses of ab initio computations [78]
1997 Andrew Lang for his work on X-ray diffraction physics and for his developing techniques of X-ray topography to study defects in crystal structures [79]
1998 Raymond Hide for his experiments and study of the hydrodynamics of rotating fluids, and the use of this study in understanding of motions in the atmosphere and interiors of the major planets [80]
1999 Alexander Boksenberg for his landmark discoveries on the nature of active galactic nuclei, the physics of the intergalactic medium and of the interstellar gas in primordial galaxies. He is noted also for his work on the development of astronomical instrumentation including the Image Photon Counting System, a revolutionary electronic area detector for the detection of faint sources, which inspired optical astronomy in the United Kingdom [81]
2000 Chintamani Rao for his work on materials chemistry in the study of the electronic and magnetic properties of transition metal oxides and high temperature superconductors. His work has been an inspiration to a generation of Indian scientists [82]
2001 John Pethica for his work on nanometre and atomic scale mechanics. He invented and developed the technique of nanoindentation thereby revolutionising the mechanical characterisation of ultra-small volumes of materials. This has been important for industries using thin film and coating technologies [83]
2002 Alexander Dalgarno for his work on the theory of atomic and molecular process, and how it can be used in astrophysics. His studies of energy depositions provide the key to understanding emissions from terrestrial aurorae, planetary atmospheres and comets
2003 Peter Edwards for his work as a solid state chemist. He has made original contributions in superconductivity and the behaviour of metal nanoparticles, and has greatly advanced our understanding of the phenomenology of the metal-insulator transition [84]
2004 John Clarke for his research, leading the world in the invention, building and development of innovative new Superconducting QUantum Interference Devices (SQUID), in their theory and use in many fundamental problems and their investigative tools
2005 Keith Moffatt for his work on the understanding of magnetohydrodynamics and the mechanisms determining how magnetic fields can develop from a low background level to substantial amplitude [85]
2006 Michael Kelly for his work in the fundamental physics of electron transport and the creation of practical electronic devices which can be deployed in advanced systems
2007 Artur Ekert "for his pioneering work on quantum cryptography and his many important contributions to the theory of quantum computation and other branches of quantum physics" [86]
2008 Michele Dougherty for innovative use of magnetic field data that led to discovery of an atmosphere around one of Saturn's moons and the way it changed our view of the role of planetary moons in the Solar System
2009 zzzzno award  —
2010 Andre Geim "for his revolutionary discovery of graphene, and elucidation of its remarkable properties"
2011 Matthew Rosseinsky "for his influential discoveries in the synthetic chemistry of solid state electronic materials and novel microporous structures"
2013 Henning Sirringhaus "for his pioneering development of inkjet printing processes for organic semiconductor devices, and dramatic improvement of their functioning and efficiency"
2015 George Efstathiou "for many outstanding contributions to our understanding of the early Universe"
2017 Peter Bruce "for distinguished work elucidating the fundamental chemistry underpinning energy storage"
2018 James Durrant "for his distinguished photochemical studies for the design solar energy devices"

References

change
General
  • "Hughes recent winners". Royal Society. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  • "Hughes archive winners 1989 - 1902". Royal Society. Archived from the original on 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
Specific
  1. 1.0 1.1 "In recognition of an original discovery in the physical sciences, particularly electricity and magnetism or their applications"."The Hughes Medal (1902)". Royal Society. Archived from the original on 9 June 2008. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Hughes archive winners 1989 - 1902". Royal Society. Archived from the original on 2008-06-09. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  3. "2 in U.S. honored by Royal Society". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  4. Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 1892. p. 109.
  5. "Sir Joseph W. Swan dead". The New York Times. 28 May 1914. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  6. "JSTOR:Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (subscription needed)". JSTOR. JSTOR 20023099. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  7. "Selling Snow in Syria". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-11-07. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  8. "Oxford DNB article:Griffiths, Ernest Howard (subscription needed)". Oxford University Press. 2004. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  9. Mehra, Jagdish (1989). The Historical Development of Quantum Theory. Springer-Verlag. p. 233.
  10. "Sir Richard Tetley Glazebrook". National Physical Laboratory. Archived from the original on 2009-02-14. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
  11. Lockyer, Norman (1910). Nature. Macmillan Publishers. p. 135.
  12. Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 1892. p. 156.
  13. Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 1892. p. 184.
  14. Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 1917. p. 207.
  15. Bell Telephone Magazine. American Telephone and Telegraph Company Public Relations Dept. 1936. p. 59.
  16. Science. Journal Storage. 1914. p. 811.
  17. Williams, Trevor I. (1914). A Biographical Dictionary of Scientists. Journal Storage. p. 306.
  18. Woodbury, David Oakes (1960). Elihu Thomson, Beloved Scientist, 1853-1937. Museum of Science. p. 351.
  19. Stephen, Leslie (1959). The Dictionary of National Biography. Museum of Science. p. 61.
  20. Wasson, Tyler (1987). Nobel Prize Winners. Visual Education Corporation. p. 598.
  21. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. JSTOR. 1987. p. 14.
  22. Who Was Who in Literature. Thomson Gale. 1979. p. 955.
  23. Moor, Ruth (1966). Niels Bohr: the Man, His Science, & the World They Changed. MIT Press. p. 427.
  24. Schlessinger, Bernard S. (1986). The Who's who of Nobel Prize Winners. Oryx Press. p. 157.
  25. Moritz, Charles (1952). Current Biography. The H. W. Wilson Company. p. 35.
  26. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Royal Society Publishing. 1926. p. 15.
  27. Science. HighWire Press. 1926. p. 552.
  28. The British Journal of Radiology. The British Journal of Radiology. 1949. p. 549.
  29. Science. HighWire Press. 1929. p. 506.
  30. Haven, Kendall F. (1999). 100 Most Popular Scientists for Young Adults. Libraries Unlimited. p. 211.
  31. Aiyasami, Jayaraman (1989). Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman: A Memoir. Affiliated East-West Press. p. 94.
  32. Ekspong, Gösta (2002). Physics: Nobel Lectures. Nobel Foundation. p. 383.
  33. Boorse, Henry Abraham (1989). The Atomic Scientists: A Biographical History. Wiley. p. 340. ISBN 9780471504559.
  34. Wasson, Tyler (1987). Nobel Prize Winners: An H.W. Wilson Biographical Dictionary. Wiley. p. 30.
  35. Ekspong, Gösta (2002). Physics: Nobel Lectures. Nobel Foundation. p. 92.
  36. Mehra, Jagdish (2001). The Historical Development of Quantum Theory. Springer. p. 623.
  37. Science. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 1936. p. 480.
  38. Aird, Robert Burns (1994). Foundations of Modern Neurology: A Century of Progress. Raven Press. p. 88. ISBN 9780781701129.
  39. Mehra, Jagdish (2001). The Historical Development of Quantum Theory. Springer. p. 36.
  40. Bury, John P. T. (1952). The College of Corpus Christi and the Blessed Virgin Mary. University of California. p. 249.
  41. Review of Scientific Instruments. American Institute of Physics. 1941. p. 115.
  42. Davis, Edward Arthur (1998). Nevill Mott: Reminiscences and Appreciations. CRC Press. p. 18.
  43. "Oxford DNB article:Oliphant, Sir Marcus Laurence Elwin (subscription needed)". Oxford University Press. 2004. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  44. "Oxford DNB article: Finch, George Ingle (subscription needed)". Oxford University Press. 2004. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  45. "Janus: The Papers of Sir Basil Schonland". Janus. Archived from the original on 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  46. "Wageningen UR — Wageningen University — Laboratory of Biophysics". Wageningen University. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  47. "Cecil Powell — Biography". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  48. "Max Born — Biography". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  49. "Catalogue — National Library of Australia". National Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 2020-01-27. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  50. "Martin Ryle — Autobiography". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  51. "Oxford DNB article: Lindermann, Frederick (subscription needed)". Oxford University Press. 2004. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  52. "Biography". Boston University. Retrieved 2009-02-06.[permanent dead link]
  53. "Springerlink — Journal Article". Springerlink. Retrieved 2009-02-06.[permanent dead link]
  54. "Professor Brebis Bleaney — Obituaries — The Independent". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  55. "Abdus Salam — Curriculum". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  56. "Obituary — Professor Nicholas Kemmer — The Independent". The Independent. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  57. "The Rise and Fall of Civilizations: Modern Archaeological Approaches to Ancient Cultures". Questia Media America. Archived from the original on 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  58. "Dyson biography". University of St Andrews. Archived from the original on 2019-05-11. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  59. "Progress Report 43". University of Bath. Archived from the original on 2011-06-04. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  60. "EGS — David Bates". European Geophysical Society. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  61. "Brown, Robert Hanbury — Bright Sparcs Biography Entry". University of Melbourne. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  62. "Brian D Josephson — Curriculum Vitae". nobelprize.org. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  63. "Oxford Materials — Professor Sir Peter Hirsch". University of Oxford. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  64. "CosNews No. 28, Spring 1997". International Union of Pure and Applied Physics. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  65. "Access: ObituaryRichardDalitz". Nature Publishing Group. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  66. White, Michael (2002). Stephen Hawking: A Life in Science. Joseph Henry Press. p. 162.
  67. Parker, Sybil P. (1980). McGraw-Hill Modern Scientists and Engineers: A-G. McGraw-Hill Book Company. p. 56.
  68. Nature. Nature Publishing Group. 1979. p. 677.
  69. Sleeman, Elizabeth (2003). The International Who's Who 2004. Europa. p. 677.
  70. The Houghton Mifflin Dictionary of Biography. Houghton Mifflin Company. 2003. p. 728.
  71. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. JSTOR. 1982. p. 120.
  72. 72.0 72.1 Year-book of the Royal Society of London. JSTOR. 1993. p. 1974.
  73. Mathematical Chronicle. University of Auckland Mathematical Chronicle Committee. 1985. p. 118.
  74. Matthew, H. C. G. (2004). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 954.
  75. Matthew, H. C. G. (2004). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford University Press. p. 798.
  76. Metals and Materials: The Journal of the Institute of Metals. Institute of Metals. 1992. p. 119.
  77. "Professor George Isaak". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  78. "Annual Report: Awards & Prizes". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 2006-01-05. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  79. "Professor Andrew Lang: Pioneer of X-ray diffraction physics". The Independent. 25 August 2008.
  80. "Hide, Prof. Raymond (subscription needed)". Who's Who 2008. Oxford University Press. December 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  81. "Annual Report: Awards & Prizes". University of Cambridge. Archived from the original on 2006-01-05. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  82. "Yudhoyono meets with ASC 2008 participants". ANTARA. 8 June 2008.
  83. "Glittering prizes". Times Higher Education. 15 June 2001.
  84. "Annual Review 2003". University of Birmingham. Archived from the original on 2009-03-16. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  85. "Cambridge professor receives top scientific honour". University of Cambridge. 2008-05-06. Archived from the original on 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
  86. "Royal Society Hughes Medal". University of Oxford. Retrieved 2009-02-07.

Other websites

change