Brian Schmidt

Brian Paul Schmidt (born 24 February 1967) is an American-Australian astrophysicist. He received in 2006 the Shaw Prize in Astronomy and in 2011 the Nobel Prize in Physics.

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Quotes

As we discover SN, we suffer from a variety of selection effects, both in our nearby and distant searches. The most significant effect is Malmquist bias – a selection effect which leads brightness limited searches finding brighter than average objects near their sensitivity limit. This bias is caused by the larger volume in which bright objects can be uncovered compared to their fainter counterparts. Malmquist bias errors are proportional to the square of the intrinsic dispersion of the distance method, and because SN Ia are such accurate distance indicators, these errors are quite small – approximately 2%. We use Monte Carlo simulations to estimate these effects, and remove their effects from our data sets.
- (2004) . "Measuring global curvature and cosmic acceleration with supernovae". Bulletin of the Astronomical Society of India 32: 269–281. (quote from p. 276)

With the expansion of the universe as an anchor, theory converged on a standard model of the universe, which was still in place in 1998, at the time of our discovery of the accelerating universe. This standard model was based on the theory of general relativity, and two assumptions. assumption one was that the universe is homogenous and isotropic on large scales, and assumption two that it is composed of normal matter, i.e. matter whose density falls directly in proportion to the volume of space, which it occupies. Within this framework, it was possible to devise observational tests of the overall theory, as well as provide values for the fundamental constants within this model – the current expansion rate (Hubble’s constant), and the average density of matter in the universe. For this model, it was also possible to directly relate the density of the universe to the rate of cosmic deceleration and the geometry of space. it stated that the more material the faster the deceleration, that above a critical density the universe has a finite (closed) geometry and below this critical density a hyperbolic (open) geometry.
- The path to measuring an accelerating universe. Nobel Lecture (December 8, 2011).

… one does not expect a Nobel Prize. To my mind, I was genuinely surprised because when you make a discovery of acceleration–well, what causes the acceleration? Well, we give it a name–dark energy–but we don’t understand it yet. I would not be surprised if we don’t understand it during my lifetime. Without understanding it, I felt it wouldn’t be worthy of a Nobel Prize. The fact that it was given pretty timely–you know, I was only 44 last year–was a bit of surprise.
- (December 2012) "Inteview with Brian Schmidt". Kavli IPMU News (No. 20): 18–24. (quote from p. 21; interviewer Melina Bersten)