In memoriam George Smoot

The contribution of professor George Smoot to our understanding of the universe has been invaluable. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006, together with John C. Mather, for the discovery of the black body form and the anisotropy of cosmic microwave background radiation.

Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, Director of the Centre for Fundamental Physics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and director of the Centre for Cosmological Physics at the Astroparticle and Cosmology Laboratory at the University of Paris, he joined Donostia International Physics Center (DIPC) in late 2020.

His arrival pushed forward the already close collaboration between George Smoot and the group led by Ikerbasque researcher at the University of the Basque Country (EHU) and DIPC associate Thomas Broadhurst. It also boosted the ambitious line of research in cosmology and astrophysics at DIPC, especially in relation to the nature of dark matter as light bosons, providing great scientific impetus towards a brave and widely regarded explanation for the Universal Dark Matter. He remained active in research until the end, with several important new papers continuing and in press.

In the words of Tom Broadhurst, his collaborators will keep vivid memories of George at the blackboard, outlining his latest ideas to students and colleagues alike, with his youthful, inquiring spirit, and his good stories and jokes; making working with him not only scientifically fundamental, but also great fun. For Tom, and for many at DIPC, George was an inspiring friend and treasured mentor who made science an adventure to share.

George also participated in many outreach activities organized by DIPC, sharing his passion for science with the general public and young students in the Basque Country.

In this sad occasion, our thoughts are specially with his family and closest friends. Our deep condolences to them. It was an honour for the DIPC community to have had the opportunity to work with professor Smoot. We will miss him deeply, and his legacy will continue inspiring us and future generations of scientists.

Rest in peace.