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Physics Timeline 1981 – 1999

Dates Characters Theories and discoveries
1981 Witten, Schoen Yau positive energy theorem in general relativity
1981 Green and Schwarz Type I superstring theory
1981 Binnig, Rohrer Scanning tunneling electron microscope
1981 Witten and Alvarez-Gaume Difficulty of getting standard model from 11-D supergravity because of chiral modes
1981 Alexander Polyakov Path integral quantisation of strings, conformal symmetry and critical dimension
1981 Linde, Albrecht, Steinhardt New inflationary universe
1982 Green and Schwarz Type II superstring theory
1982 Alain Aspect An experiment to confirm non-local aspects of quantum theory
1982 Darnstadt Element 109, meitnerium
1982   Limits on proton lifetime rule out many Grand Unified Theories
1983 Carlo Rubbia et al W and Z bosons at CERN
1983 Andrei Linde Chaotic inflationary universe
1984 Green and Schwarz Anomaly cancellations in superstring theory
1984 Darnstadt Element 108, hassium
1985 Gross, Harvey, Martinec, Rohm Heterotic string theory
1985 David Deutsch Theory of quantum computing
1986 Bednorz and Mueller High temperature superconductivity
1986 Abhay Ashtekar New variables for canonical quantum gravity
1986 Geller, Huchra, Lapparent Bubble structure of galaxy distributions
1987   Supernova 1987a
1987 Masatoshi Koshibas Detection of neutrinos from a supernova
1988 Atiyah, Witten Topological quantum field theories
1988 Smolin and Rovelli Loop representation of quantum gravity
1989 SLAC Evidence that number of light neutrinos is 3 from Z width
1989 Tim Berners-Lee The World Wide Web
1989 Bennett and Brassard First quantum computer
1990 John Mather Black body spectrum of cosmic background radiation from COBE
1991 CERN Confirmation that number of light neutrinos is 3
1991 Connes, Lott Particle models from non-commutative geometry
1991 BATSE Gamma Ray Burst distribution is isotropic
1992 Mather and Smoot Angular fluctuations in cosmic background radiation with COBE
1993 Aspinwall, Morrison, Greene Topology change in string theory
1994 Fermilab Top Quark
1994 ‘t Hooft, Susskind Holographic principle
1994 Seiberg and Witten Electro-magnetic duality in supersymmetric gauge theory
1994 Hubble Space Telescope Evidence for black hole at the centre of galaxy M87
1994 Peter Shor Factorisation algorithm for a quantum computer
1994 Hull, Townsend Unity of String Dualities
1994 Darnstadt Element 110
1995 Witten and Townsend M-Theory
1995 Joseph Polchinski D-Branes
1995 Cornell, Wieman, Anderson Bose-Einstein condensate of atomic gas
1995 CERN Creation of Anti-hydrogen atoms
1995 Mayor and Queloz First extra-solar planet orbiting an ordinary star
1995 Darnstadt Element 111
1996 Strominger, Vafa D-branes and black-holes
1996 Cumrun Vafa F-theory
1996 Steven Lamoreaux Measurement of Casimir force
1996 Darnstadt Element 112
1996 Banks, Fischler, Shenker, Susskind M-theory as a matrix model
1997 BepoSAX Location of Gamma Ray Bursts demonstrates that they are extragalactic
1997 Juan Maldacena AdS/CFT duality
1997 SLAC Photon-photon scattering produces electron-positron pairs
1998 Perlmutter, Garnavich et al Supernovae observations suggest that the expansion of the universe is accelerating
1998 Super-Kamiokande Neutrino oscillation demonstrated
1998 CERN, Fermilab Time reversal assymetry observed for K meson decay