Cardiff University physicist wins 2024 Institute of Physics James Joule medal and prize

A Cardiff University physicist has won the 2024 Institute of Physics (IOP) James Joule Medal and Prize.

Professor Carole Tucker, a physicist at Cardiff University’s school of physics and astronomy, has been recognised for her “outstanding work on the development and provision to the worldwide scientific community of optical components for astronomical instruments and other applications,” according to Cardiff University.

Tucker said: “It was a lovely surprise to have been nominated by colleagues for the IoP’s James Joule Medal and it is an honour to receive it. The prize means a great deal to me because it represents the hard work, skill and dedication of a small but fabulous team of scientists and engineers – we will share it and celebrate together!”

The IOP is the professional body and learned society for physics and practising physicists in the UK and Ireland. Its annual awards reflect a wide variety of people, places, organisations and achievements, celebrating physicists at every stage of their career, from those just starting out as physicists to those at the peak of their careers, and physicists with distinguished career backgrounds.

The award aims to recognise both the companies that are successful in physics and innovation, as well as employers who demonstrate their commitment and contribution to scientific and engineering schemes.

Professor Sir Keith Burnett, the president of the Institute of Physics, said: “On behalf of the Institute of Physics, I want to congratulate all of this year’s award winners.”

Adding: “Our award winners are in the vanguard of that work and each one has made a significant and positive impact in their profession, whether as a researcher, teacher, industrialist, technician or apprentice. I hope they are incredibly proud of their achievements; they really should be.

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“There is so much focus today on the opportunities generated by a career in physics and the potential our science has to transform our society and economy and I hope the stories of our winners will help to inspire future generations of scientists.”

Professor Tucker is a member of the Astronomy Instrumentation Group at the Cardiff Hub for Astrophysics Research and Technology and is renowned for her development of cutting-edge optical components for astronomical instruments used worldwide.

Her work has been a key contributor to many major projects, including ESA’s Herschel and Planck projects, NASA’s Mars and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiters, and ground-based telescopes like the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope.

These instruments have revolutionised our understanding of the Big Bang and the composition and structure of the universe through observations of the processes of galaxies, stars, planet formations and radiation from the Cosmic Microwave Background.

In addition to her contributions to astronomy, Professor Tucker’s team has applied their technology to new ground-based facilities for future space missions, such as the Japanese-led LiteBIRD satellite and the NASA Far Infrared Probe concept mission, PRIMA.

Plus, the team have also helped to develop the Fred Young Submillimeter Telescope, the Simons Observatory, security screening and the next generation of meteorological satellites, and even launched a Cardiff University spinout company, Celtic Terahertz Technology Ltd, to advance commercial applications.

“My team’s contribution is to design and build the filters that are needed to let through and control the signal wavelengths that the telescope needs to see and at the same time block out all the unwanted wavelengths of light. With pride I can state that we are the world-leaders in providing this technology,” said Tucker.

Tucker and her team’s technology is also being applied to Earth observation, broader THz science and industry.

Feature image credit: YouTube

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