Gravitational waves discovery earns $3M US prize

Researchers who helped detect gravitational waves for the first time, confirming part ofAlbert Einstein's theory in a landmark moment in scientifichistory, will share a $3 million USSpecial Breakthrough Prize,according to the prize's selection committee.

The Breakthrough Prizes for scientific achievements werecreated by Russian billionaireYuriMilneralong with several technology pioneers, includingFacebookfounder MarkZuckerbergandGoogleco-founderSergeyBrin.

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Einstein predicted gravitational waves as part of hisseminal theory of general relativity, which explained gravity asdistortions in both space and time caused by bodies of matter.LIGO's three founders Rainer Weiss, Kip Thorne and RonaldDrever, who dedicated much of their careers to gravitationalwave detection will share $1 million. More than 1,000contributors to the project will also split $2 million equally.

"That's much more modern and much more the way that physicsgets done," said Weiss, a professor emeritus at theMassachusetts Institute of Technology, of the decision to honourthe entire team. "You can't credit just the three of us forthis."

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Researchers said the gravitational waves came from thecollision of two black holes, the extraordinarily dense objectsthat Einstein's theory also predicted. The black holes, bothmany times the mass of the sun, were located 1.3 billion lightyears from Earth.

"For us to spend basically a half-century since the three ofus started working in this field, to have it actually be pulledoff successfully in the manner we dreamed it was reallyremarkable and wonderful," said Thorne, who is retired from theCalifornia Institute of Technology. "I'm forever grateful to theteam that got it done."

'Full force of Einstein's theory'

The winners will be honoured at a December ceremony, when theregular annual awards for physics, life sciences and mathematicswill also be announced. The Special Breakthrough Prize can beconferred at any time to mark "an extraordinary scientificachievement."

Edward Witten, a prominent physicist who heads the physicsprize selection committee, said the discovery's magnitudewarranted immediate recognition.

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