Two Israelis receive prestigious US science prize

Physicists Yakir Aharonov and Amnon Yariv were among the ten recipients of the 2010 National Medal of Science.

Israeli physicists Yakir Aharonov and Amnon Yariv are among the ten researcher who have won the 2010 National Medal of Science, which President Barack Obama will award at a White House ceremony tentatively scheduled for mid-November.

Aharonov, 78, told the "Orange County Register" in Los Angeles, “I feel very honored,” Aharonov said when reached while traveling in Israel on Friday. “It’s a real distinction, and I think it’s nice that finally someone from a small university got it. So many people from major universities get it. It’s quite a change."

Aharonov works at Chapman University. He won the award for his work in quantum physics which ranges from the Aharonov-Bohm effect, to the notion of weak measurement, making him one of the most influential figures in modern physics.

Prof. Yariv works at the California Institute of Technology (CalTech). He won the award for his scientific and engineering contributions to photonics and quantum electronics that have profoundly impacted lightwave communications and the field of optics as a whole.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 17, 2010

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2010

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