Professor Peter Higgs

We are deeply saddened to share news of the death of one of King's notable alumni and Fellows, Professor Peter Higgs.

The earlier days

Peter Higgs was born in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1929. He attended school in Bristol and London before coming to King's as an undergraduate to study Physics in 1947. Peter achieved a first class degree in 1950, followed by a master's and then a PhD in molecular physics. His thesis 'Some problems in the theory of molecular vibrations' was published in 1954. 

Groundbreaking findings

In 1964, following his move to the University of Edinburgh, Higgs predicted the existence of the Higgs field and its associated particle, the Higgs boson. The Higgs field is believed to exist in every region of the Universe with its energy. In 1967, the Higgs field and his theory of mass was incorporated into a unified theory which forms the basis of the Standard Model, a framework that describes all the visible matter in the Universe.  

Despite Higgs' work being extremely important for our current understanding of the world, he struggled to get it included in scientific journals. One publication rejected the study for being 'of no obvious relevance to physics'. Professor Higg's work in the 1960s laid the foundation for his groundbreaking discovery in 2012 – the Higgs boson particle - which explains how fundamental particles obtain mass. For this discovery, he was awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize in Physics, alongside François Englert.  

After retiring from the University of Edinburgh in 2006, Professor Higgs continued to follow developments at CERN (European Organisation for Nuclear Research) as experiments were still happening in search of the particle he'd proposed back in 1964. From 2008, CERN conducted a series of experiments and, in 2012, they finally discovered the Higgs boson. Ongoing research within King's Department of Physics aims to further investigate and extend Professor Higgs' ideas, to gain a precise understanding of how his theory works. 

A lasting legacy

In recognition of his influence, King's holds the Higgs Lecture series annually, which hosts distinguished speakers in the world of physics. The lasting legacy of his work reaches far beyond particle physics into areas such as condensed matter and string theory.  

On the news of his passing, academics from across King's Department of Physics have paid their tributes to him: 

Professor John Ellis, Clerk Maxwell Professor of Theoretical Physics and a leader of theoretical physics at CERN, said: 

'A giant of particle physics has left us. Peter Higgs was a profoundly modest man. He wiped tears from his eyes when the discovery was announced and said that he had never expected to see it in his lifetime. He also said that the existence of the Higgs boson was "not a big deal", but it was.'

Professor Malcolm Fairbairn from the Department of Physics, said:  

'The discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012 was the perfect confirmation of his theory which explains how fundamental particles obtain mass. I am extremely proud to have him as one of our alumni.'

He leaves two sons, Chris and Jonny, his daughter-in-law Suzanne and two grandchildren. 

The School of Physics and Astronomy have created a memorial page where you are welcome to leave a message or tribute to share your condolences or memories of Professor Higgs. 

The details of this obituary have been taken from the King's website.