Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics Awarded to Our Faculty Member

Prof. Dr. Cenap Şahabettin Özben, a faculty member at the ITU Department of Physics Engineering, along with his international research team, has been awarded the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics. The subject of the award—the precise measurement of the muon's magnetic moment—serves as a powerful tool in the search for "new physics" beyond the Standard Model.

The 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics was awarded to the living co-authors of the papers that shared the results of the measurement studies conducted at CERN, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and Fermilab under the title "Precise Measurement of the Muon Magnetic Moment."

Our faculty member, Prof. Dr. Cenap Şahabettin Özben, was among the 103 scientists honored on behalf of BNL. Having completed his undergraduate, master's, and doctoral studies at ITU, Prof. Dr. Özben has conducted research at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland), the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign), Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, NY), and CERN.

We congratulate Prof. Dr. Cenap Şahabettin Özben and wish him continued success.

Often referred to as the "Oscars of Science," the Breakthrough Prizes were first awarded in 2012. An award ceremony for this year's 12th edition was held in Los Angeles on April 18, 2026.

The prizes in life sciences, fundamental physics, and mathematics carry the following mission:

• To celebrate individual achievement and honor scientists as societal heroes
• To inspire the next generation of scientists
• To support science for the benefit of all as a global, non-political organization.

Searching for new physics through muon measurements

The muon is a heavy, unstable subatomic particle similar to the electron, and just like the electron, it acts as a tiny magnet. Physicists are trying to understand with extreme precision how the muon's magnetic strength is influenced by the quantum "foam" of virtual particles that constantly pop in and out of existence in the empty space surrounding it.

For over sixty years, scientists and engineers from three different “Muon g‑2” collaborations representing dozens of institutions have continuously improved the experimental precision in measuring the muon's anomalous magnetic moment. Measuring the muon's magnetism and comparing it with theoretical predictions allows physicists to test whether there are any unknown particles or forces hidden within this quantum foam. In other words, the Muon g-2 experiments and their results offer a tool to search for new physics beyond the Standard Model, our most successful theory for particles and forces.

The pioneering storage ring experiments conducted in the 1960s and 1970s through the collaboration established at CERN measured the muon's anomalous magnetic moment with meaningful precision for the first time. Later, in the 1990s, the redesigned experiment at Brookhaven National Laboratory achieved a massive improvement in accuracy.

Following the 3,200-mile transport of Brookhaven's 50-ton, 15-meter-diameter storage ring by road and barge in 2013, the experiment was systematically upgraded at Fermilab, reaching an ultimate precision of 127 parts per billion. This was an awe-inspiring achievement, 30,000 times more precise than the first g‑2 experiment in 1965.

The results had shown a tantalizing discrepancy with the theoretically predicted value; with the new results achieved by Fermilab in 2023, this discrepancy approached the threshold widely considered as evidence for new physics. Since then, comparing even more precise final results with updated theoretical calculations has narrowed the gap, though significant uncertainty remains for now. Regardless of the final verdict, this experiment stands as an extraordinary example of theoretical, experimental, and technological effort, achieving unprecedented precision in the quest for fundamental understanding.

Prof. Dr. Özben pictured with some members of the “Muon g‑2” collaboration after the release of the initial experimental results at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The muon storage ring, part of the experimental setup, is visible in the background (circa 2001).

 

Prof. Dr. Özben pictured with some members of the “Muon g‑2” collaboration after the release of the initial experimental results at Brookhaven National Laboratory. The muon storage ring, part of the experimental setup, is visible in the background (circa 2001).