Professor Peter Higgs, one of the world’s leading theoretical physicists and the man after whom the elusive Higgs boson is named, has been awarded the freedom of the city of Bristol.
Professor Higgs, 92, who went to Cotham Grammar School, was recognised for his work during a special ceremony at City Hall and also took the opportunity to meet fellow academics from the Bristol University, which hosted a special lunch in his honour.
Attendees included the Lord Mayor of Bristol Councillor Faruk Choudhury, Bristol University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Eric Thomas and representatives from the School of Physics.
Prof Higgs was one of a small group of physicists who carried out ground-breaking theoretical work in the 1960s, leading to the development of the ‘standard model’ of particle physics. This gives us our best understanding of the laws of nature at the most fundamental scale, which governed the development of the universe soon after the Big Bang.
Professor Higgs predicted the existence of a unique type of fundamental particle – now named the Higgs boson in his honour – which is essential in allowing the mathematics of the standard model to work. The existence of the boson was a matter of intense speculation for 50 years until its final discovery last year at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) – the world’s most powerful particle accelerator.
Head of the Bristol Particle Physics Research Group Prof Dave Newbold said: “The seminal work of Prof Peter Higgs set the agenda for particle physics research for decades, including the design of the giant LHC detectors at Bristol and elsewhere. The discovery of the Higgs boson was a huge step forward and has opened up a wealth of questions for a new generation of researchers.
“Peter spent his school days in Bristol, and it’s fantastic that the city of Bristol has chosen to recognise both his achievements, and the importance of this science, by awarding him the freedom of the city.”
Professor Higgs lived in Bristol from 1941 to 1946, when he attended Cotham Grammar School. He graduated with First Class Honours in Physics from King’s College, University of London, in 1950. He was awarded an honorary degree by Bristol University in 1997.
Pictured: The Lord Mayor of Bristol Councillor Faruk Choudhury, ProfPeter Higgs and Bristol University’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Eric Thomas
