2023 Medal Winners | francais

The 2023 CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medal for Contributions to Subatomic Physics

is awarded to

Paul Garrett

"I am incredibly honoured to have been selected as the recipient of the 2023 Vogt medal considering the strength of the Canadian subatomic physics community. I am especially grateful to my collaborators and talented team of students and post-doctoral researchers for their work and tireless efforts in our studies." winner citation

The Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP) and TRIUMF are pleased to announce that the 2023 CAP-TRIUMF Vogt Medal for Contributions to Subatomic Physics is awarded to Paul Garrett, University of Guelph, in recognition of his recent demonstration that the collective excitations of nuclei in the cadmium region, previously understood to be text book examples of vibrations about a spherical shape, are better described as rotations of coexisting deformed shapes, and hence that spherical vibrational nuclei are either very rare or do not exist. announcement

Professor Garrett is an outstanding experimental physicist who applies a wide range of experimental techniques to probe the nature of collective excitations in nuclei. His detailed studies of surface vibrational modes over the past quarter century have recently culminated in a breakthrough experiment performed at TRIUMF’s Isotope Separator and Accelerator (ISAC) radioactive ion beam facility. This study demonstrated that the structure of the 110,112Cd isotopes, which have been considered textbook examples of spherical vibrational nuclei for over 50 years, is better described by rotational excitations of multiple coexisting deformed shapes.

Prof. Garrett’s research indicates that there may, in fact, no longer be any clear examples of surface vibrations in spherical nuclei, once thought to be among the most basic and prevalent collective nuclear excitations. This represents a paradigm shift in our understanding of the structure of nuclei, inspiring new research programs from groups around the world aimed at understanding the basic excitation modes of the complex nuclear quantum many-body system. nominator citation

ABOUT the Medal

First introduced in 2011, the Vogt Medal recognizes and encourages significant experimental or theoretical contributions to subatomic physics.

Dr. Garrett will be invited to give a plenary talk as part of the 2023 CAP Congress program, and to receive his medal at a Medallists' Recognition Dinner in Fredericton, NB on Wednesday, June 21, 2023. The Awards Dinner is one of the featured events of the CAP Congress hosted by the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, NB, from June 19-23. Please refer to the Congress outline (https://www.cap.ca/congress-conference/congress-2023/2023-congress-at-a-glance/) for the schedule of plenary talks by the CAP medal winners. If Dr. Garrett is unable to attend Congress, the medal will be presented at an alternate mutually-agreed upon event or forwarded to him separately following Congress. medal description

ABOUT the Canadian Association of Physicists (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, through its charitable arm - the CAP Foundation, also undertakes a number of activities intended to encourage students to pursue a career in physics. cap description

ABOUT TRIUMF

TRIUMF is Canada’s particle accelerator centre. The lab is a hub for discovery and innovation inspired by a half-century of ingenuity in answering nature's most challenging questions. From the hunt for the smallest particles in our universe to research that advances the next generation of batteries or develops isotopes to diagnose and treat disease, TRIUMF drives more than scientific discovery. Powered by its complement of top talent and advanced accelerator infrastructure, TRIUMF is pushing the frontiers in isotope science and innovation, as well as technologies to address fundamental and applied problems in particle and nuclear physics, and the materials and life sciences. In collaboration with 20 Canadian universities, TRIUMF's diverse community of nearly 600 multidisciplinary researchers, engineers, technicians, tradespeople, staff, and students create a unique incubator for Canadian excellence, as well as a portal to premier global collaborations. Our passion for understanding everything from the nature of the nucleus to the creation of the cosmos sparks imagination, inspiration, improved health, economic opportunity, and a better world for all.

For more information, visit www.triumf.ca and www.triumf50.com. @TRIUMFLab joint description

- 30 -

For more information, please contact:

Mrs. Francine Ford, Executive Director
Canadian Association of Physicists
Tel: 343-361-3326
E-mail: execdir@cap.ca
www.cap.cacap contact and joint contact