Rumford Medal
Encyclopedia
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
every alternating year for "an outstandingly important recent discovery in the field of thermal or optical properties of matter made by a scientist working in Europe". First awarded in 1800, it was created after a 1796 donation of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
5000 by the scientist Benjamin Thompson
Benjamin Thompson
Sir Benjamin Thompson, Count Rumford , FRS was an American-born British physicist and inventor whose challenges to established physical theory were part of the 19th century revolution in thermodynamics. He also served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Loyalist forces in America during the American...
, known as Count Rumford, and is accompanied by a £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
1000 gift. Since its creation, the medal has been awarded to 100 individuals, including Rumford himself in 1800. The medal has been awarded to citizens of the United Kingdom fifty-three times, Germany seventeen times, France fourteen times, the Netherlands seven times, Sweden four times, the United States three times, Italy twice and once each to citizens of Australia, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
, Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The most recent winner was Gilbert Lonzarich in 2010, a physicist from the United Kingdom who was awarded the medal "for his outstanding work into novel types of quantum matter using innovative instrumentation and techniques".
List of recipients
| Year | Name | Nationality | Rationale | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800 | British | "For his various discoveries respecting Heat and Light" | ||
| 1802 | — | — | — | |
| 1804 | British | "For his Experiments on Heat, published in his work, entitled, An Experimental Enquiry into the Nature and Propagation of Heat" | — | |
| 1806 | — | — | — | |
| 1808 | British | "For his publication of the employment of Gas from Coal, for the purpose of illumination" | ||
| 1810 | French | "For the discovery of certain new properties of Reflected Light, published in the second volume of the Memoires dArcueil" | ||
| 1812 | — | — | — | |
| 1814 | British | "For his Essay on Dew, published in the course of the preceding (1815) year" | ||
| 1816 | British | "For his Papers on Combustion and Flame, published in the last volume of the Philosophical Transactions" | ||
| 1818 | British | "For his Discoveries relating to the Polarization of Light" | ||
| 1820 | — | — | — | |
| 1822 | — | — | — | |
| 1824 | French | "For his Development of the Undulatory Theory as applied to the Phenomena of Polarized Light, and for his various important discoveries in Physical Optics" | ||
| 1826 | — | — | — | |
| 1828 | — | — | — | |
| 1830 | — | — | — | |
| 1832 | British | "For his Paper, entitled, Further Experiments with a new Register Pyrometer, for measuring the expansion of Solids, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1831" | ||
| 1834 | Italian | "For his discoveries relevant to radiant heat" | ||
| 1836 | — | — | — | |
| 1838 | British | "For his experiments on the polarization of heat, of which an account was published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh" | ||
| 1840 | French | "For his researches in, and connected with, the circular polarization of light" | ||
| 1842 | British | "For his discoveries and improvements in photography" | ||
| 1844 | — | — | — | |
| 1846 | British | "For his discovery of the optical phenomena developed by the action of magnets and electric currents in certain transparent media, the details of which are published in the nineteenth series of his experimental researches in electricity, inserted in the Philosophical Transactions for 1845 and in the Philosophical Magazine" | ||
| 1848 | French | "For his experiments to determine the laws and the numerical data which enter into the calculation of steam engines" | ||
| 1850 | French | "For his experimental investigations on polarized light, the concluding memoirs on which were communicated to the Academy of Sciences of Paris during the last two years" | — | |
| 1852 | British | "For his discovery of the change in the refrangibility of light" | — | |
| 1854 | British | "For the successful construction of the smokeless fire grate lately introduced by him, and for other valuable improvements in the application of heat to the warming and ventilation of apartments" | — | |
| 1856 | French | "For his discovery of the nature of racemic acid and its relations to polarized light, and for the researches to which he was led by that discovery" | — | |
| 1858 | French | "For his various experimental researches on light" | — | |
| 1860 | British | "For his researches on the composition of colours, and other optical papers" | — | |
| 1862 | German | "For his researches on the fixed lines of the solar spectrum, and on the inversion of the bright lines in the spectra of artificial light" | — | |
| 1864 | British | "For his researches on the absorption and radiation of heat by gases and vapours" | — | |
| 1866 | French | "For his optical researches, & especially for his investigations into the effect of heat on the refractive power of transparent bodies" | — | |
| 1868 | |British | "For his researches on the qualitative as well as quantitative relation between the emissive and absorptive powers of bodies for heat and light, published originally in [1858 & 1859]" | — | |
| 1870 | French | "For his researches in mineralogical optics" | — | |
| 1872 | Swedish | "For his researches on spectral analysis" | — | |
| 1874 | British | "For his spectroscopic researches on the Sun and on the chemical elements" | — | |
| 1875 | American | "For his Researches on Radiant Energy" | — | |
| 1876 | French | "For his numerous & important researches in the radiation & absorption of light, carried on chiefly by means of the spectroscope" | — | |
| 1878 | French | "For his various optical researches, and especially for his recent redetermination of the velocity of the propagation of light" | — | |
| 1880 | British | "For his important researches in astronomical spectroscopy, and especially for his determination of the radical component of the proper motions of stars" | — | |
| 1882 | British | "For his photographic researches and his discovery of the method of photographing the less refrangible part of the spectrum, especially the infra-red region; also for his researches on the absorption of various compound bodies in this part of the spectrum" | — | |
| 1884 | Swedish | "For his spectroscopic researches" | — | |
| 1886 | American | "For his researches on the spectrum by means of the Bolometer" | — | |
| 1888 | Italian | "For important and long-continued investigations, which have largely advanced our knowledge of the physics of the Sun" | — | |
| 1890 | German | "For his work in electromagnetic radiation" | — | |
| 1892 | Swedish | "For his spectroscopic researches on stars" | — | |
| 1894 | British | "For his researches on the properties of matter at extremely low temperatures" | — | |
| 1896 | and Wilhelm Röntgen | German | "For their investigations of the phenomena produced outside a highly exhausted tube through which an electrical discharge is taking place" | — |
| 1898 | British | "For his researches in radiation and in the relations between matter and ether" | — | |
| 1900 | French | "For his discoveries in radiation proceding [sic] from uranium" | — | |
| 1902 | |British | "For his success in the application of the steam turbine to industrial purposes, and for its recent extension to navigation" | — | |
| 1904 | New Zealander | "For his researches on radio-activity, particularly for his discovery of the existence and properties of the gaseous emanations from radio-active bodies" | — | |
| 1906 | British | "For his experimental work on heat" | — | |
| 1908 | Dutch | "On the ground of his investigations in optical and electrical science" | — | |
| 1910 | German | "On the ground of his researches on radiation, especially of long wave length" | — | |
| 1912 | Dutch | "On the ground of his researches at low temperatures" | — | |
| 1914 | British | "On the ground of his investigations in thermo-dynamics and on radiation" | — | |
| 1916 | British | "On the ground of his researches in X-ray radiation" | — | |
| 1918 | and Alfred Perot Alfred Pérot Jean-Baptiste Alfred Perot was a French physicist.Together with his colleague Charles Fabry he developed the Fabry–Pérot interferometer.-Spelling:... |
French | "On the ground of their contributions to optics" | — |
| 1920 | British | "On the ground of his researches into the properties of gases at high vacua" | — | |
| 1922 | Dutch | "For his researches in optics" | — | |
| 1924 | British | "For his invention of the gas calorimeter" | — | |
| 1926 | British | "For his services to physical science, especially in the subjects of optics and terrestrial magnetism" | — | |
| 1928 | German | "For his contributions to the knowledge of spectra" | — | |
| 1930 | Dutch | "For his work relating to specific heats and X-ray spectroscopy" | — | |
| 1932 | German | "For the outstanding importance of his work in physical chemistry, especially in the application of thermodynamics to chemical reactions" | — | |
| 1934 | Dutch | "For his researches on the properties of bodies at low temperatures, and in particular, for his recent work on cooling by the use of adiabatic demagnetisation" | — | |
| 1936 | British | "For his researches on the use of polarized light for investigating directly the stresses in transparent models of engineering structures" | — | |
| 1938 | American | "In recognition of his distinguished work and discoveries in many branches of physical optics" | — | |
| 1940 | Swedish | "For his pioneer work in high precision X-ray spectroscopy and its applications" | — | |
| 1942 | British | "In recognition of his outstanding work on the physics of the upper air and its application to meteorology" | — | |
| 1944 | British | "In recognition of his important contributions to research on the internal combustion engine, which have greatly influenced the development of the various types" | — | |
| 1946 | British | "In recognition of his leading part in the application of modern physical chemistry to many technological problems of pressing importance" | — | |
| 1948 | German | "For his outstanding contributions to the attainment of low temperatures and to the study of the properties of substances at temperatures near the absolute zero" | ||
| 1950 | British | "For his pioneering contributions to the jet propulsion of aircraft" | ||
| 1952 | Dutch | "In recognition of his outstanding work in the development of phase contrast microscopy" | ||
| 1954 | British | "For his distinguished contributions to the technique for the production of high vacua and to the development of the reflecting microscope" | ||
| 1956 | Australian | "In recognition of his distinguished work on the nature of friction" | ||
| 1958 | British | "In recognition of his distinguished researches in spectroscopy and optics" | ||
| 1960 | British | "In recognition of his distinguished work in the field of molecular spectroscopy and particularly its application to the study of flame phenomena" | — | |
| 1962 | British | "In recognition of his distinguished contributions to chemical engineering" | ||
| 1964 | Dutch | "In recognition of his distinguished work on the scattering processes in the interplanetary medium and his prediction of the 21 cm spectral line from interstellar neutral hydrogen" | — | |
| 1966 | British | "In recognition of his distingsuihed [sic] and paramount personal contribution to the establishment of economic nuclear energy in Great Britain" | ||
| 1968 | Hungarian | "In recognition of his distinguished contributions to optics, especially by establishing the principles of holography" | ||
| 1970 | British | "In recognition of his outstanding contributions to engineering and of his leadership of engineering design teams in the chemical and atomic energy industries and in electricity generation" | ||
| 1972 | British | "In recognition of his distinguished contributions to meteorology, particularly the physics of clouds" | ||
| 1974 | British | "In recognition of his contributions to physical metallurgy and particularly extending knowledge of the role of dislocation in the fracture of metals" | — | |
| 1976 | Belgian | "In recognition of his distinguished contributions to the theory of irreversible thermodynamics" | — | |
| 1978 | British | "In recognition of his distinguished studies of very fast chemical reactions by flash photolysis" | ||
| 1980 | British | "In recognition of his discovery of the quantum of circulation in superfluid helium and his development of new techniques for precise measurements within liquid helium" | — | |
| 1982 | British | "In recognition of his unique contribution to the design of optical instruments ranging from large telescopes to bubble-chamber optics" | — | |
| 1984 | British | "In recognition of his many contributions to the theory and design of optical instruments, especially of a wide variety of important new medical instruments which have made a major contribution to clinical diagnosis and surgery" | — | |
| 1986 | British | "In recognition of his contributions to scientific developments in the gas industry" | ||
| 1988 | British | "In recognition of his pioneering work on optical diagnostics and electrical aspects of combustion and his fundamental studies of flame problems associated with jet engines and furnaces" | ||
| 1990 | German | "For discovering and applying techniques for depositing and characterising thin films of high quality amorphous silicon and for demonstrating that these can be doped to give useful electronic devices, such as cost-effective solar cells and large arrays of thin film transistors, now used in commercial, flat-panel, LCD colour TV screens" | ||
| 1992 | British | "In recognition of his wide-ranging and imaginative contributions to applied mathematics and statistical physics, especially in the physical properties of liquids and the development of the Temperley-Lieb algebra" | — | |
| 1994 | British | "In recognition of his contributions to polymer science, in particular his elucidation of the basis of polymeric crystallization, a fundamental ingredient in many materials, to methods of making strong fibres and to the understanding of polymer solutions which underlie this technology" | ||
| 1996 | |British | "In recognition of his work on the 40Ar/39Ar method of dating developing this technique to a sophisticated level and one which is widely used for dating extraterrestrial and terrestrial rocks" | ||
| 1998 | British | "In recognition of his leading research in the development of polymer-based electronics and optoelectronics leading to a very rapid growth of development activities aimed at plastic electronic displays, with advantages of very low cost, flexibility, and the option of curved or flat surfaces" | ||
| 2000 | British | "In recognition of his research on ultra-short pulse laser science and technology. In his work on streak cameras, he first demonstrated the technique of sub-picosecond chronoscopy whereby the cameras, by synchronous repetition, can function as oscilloscopes. He conducted pioneering work on coupled cavity modelocking, and his discovery of the technique of self-modelocking led to the commercialisation of sub-picosecond pulses over a wide tuning range. He also exploited diode-pumped solid-state lasers in nonlinear optics for frequency conversion by demonstrating the worlds first all-solid-state optical parametric oscillator" | ||
| 2002 | British | "for his outstanding contributions to our fundamental understanding of the structure and dynamics of reaction processes on solid surfaces" | ||
| 2004 | British | "in recognition of his many contributions to molecular spectroscopy and to the dynamics of molecular photodissociation" | ||
| 2006 | Luxembourger | "for his pioneering work on molten salts and dense plasmas that has led the way to a quantative understanding of the structure and dynamics of strongly correlated ionic liquids" | ||
| 2008 | British | "for his extensive and highly innovative work in ultra-cold matter" | ||
| 2010 | British | "for his outstanding work into novel types of quantum matter using innovative instrumentation and techniques" |