EUGENE–Burton Richter, co-recipient of the 1976 Nobel Prize in physics, will deliver a free public lecture titled "High-Energy Physics: A Personal Assessment" as an inaugural event celebrating the formation of the new University of Oregon Center for High Energy Physics.

Richter, who received the Nobel Prize for his discovery of particles composed of the "charm quark," will speak at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 1, in Room 100 of Willamette Hall, 1371 E. 13th Ave., on the UO campus.

His lecture will summarize some of the most recent information in high-energy physics– advances that cast new light on our understanding of the basic structure of matter and evolution of the early universe. Richter also will discuss what advances and discoveries might be expected over the next five years.

Organizers say his presentation is intended for a general, but scientifically inclined, audience.

The lecture is the first public event of the newly created University of Oregon Center for High Energy Physics. With eight faculty researchers, the center provides an institutional link joining the various experimental and theoretical high-energy physics research activities at the university. The university’s theoretical high-energy group dates back decades, while the experimentalist group began in 1988 when professor James Brau joined the UO physics department.

"We have a very active program in particle physics here at Oregon," says Brau. "The formation of the center will help us continue and even expand this work."

Currently, members of the center attract more than $800,000 annually in funding, primarily from the U.S. Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.

A past president of the American Physical Society, Richter was director of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, one of the world’s most advanced high-energy physics research centers, from 1984—1999. In addition, he has received numerous awards and honors including membership in both the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

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