This article needs additional citations for
verification. (January 2023) |
David Todd Wilkinson | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | 13 May 1935 |
Died | 5 September 2002 | (aged 67)
Alma mater | University of Michigan |
Awards | James Craig Watson Medal (2001) |
Scientific career | |
Fields | cosmology |
Institutions | Princeton University |
Doctoral advisor | H. Richard Crane |
Doctoral students |
Marc Davis Suzanne Staggs Peter Saulson |
David Todd Wilkinson (May 13, 1935 – September 5, 2002) was an American cosmologist, specializing in the study of the cosmic microwave background radiation ( CMB). [1]
Wilkinson was born in Hillsdale, Michigan on May 13, 1935, and earned his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Michigan under the supervision of H. Richard Crane. [2]
Wilkinson was a Professor of Physics at Princeton University from 1965 until his retirement in 2002. He made fundamental contributions to many major cosmic microwave background experiments, including two NASA satellites: the Cosmic Background Explorer ( COBE) and the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe ( WMAP), the latter of which was named in his honor after his death due to cancer on September 5, 2002. [3]