He is the fourth MIT professor to win a Nobel Prize since 1990. Professor Brockhouse developed the technique of neutron spectroscopy, which allows scientists to explore atoms' movements within a material.
Most people know that X-ray methods and microscopy can be used for studying objects in detail.
The researchers now rewarded have developed neutron scattering techniques, powerful methods of analyzing both solid and fluid matter. Understanding where atoms are in a material and how they interact with one another is key to understanding a material's properties. All of these things go back to understanding the basic science behind their operation. The Nobel citation noted that thousands of people now work in the field of neutron scattering, using the technology to study ceramic superconductors, the structure of viruses, surfaces of relevance to catalytic exhaust cleaning, and more. The caller, a member of the Nobel committee, told him he had won the prize.