Nomination and selection

Three Nobel Laureates in Physics. Front row from left: Albert A. Michelson (1907), Albert
Einstein (1921) and Robert A. Millikan (1923).
A maximum of three Nobel laureates and two different works may be selected for the Nobel
Prize in Physics.[10][11]Compared with other Nobel Prizes, the nomination and selection process
for the prize in Physics is long and rigorous. This is a key reason why it has grown in importance
over the years to become the most important prize in Physics.[12]
The Nobel laureates are selected by the Nobel Committee for Physics, a Nobel Committee that
consists of five members elected by The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. In the first stage,
several thousand people are asked to nominate candidates. These names are scrutinized and
discussed by experts who narrow it to approximately fifteen names. The committee submits a
report with recommendations to the appropriate institution.[13]
The names of the nominees are never publicly announced, and neither are they told that they
have been considered for the prize. Nomination records are sealed for fifty years.[14] While
posthumous nominations are not permitted, awards can be made if the individual died in the
months between the decision of the prize committee (typically in October) and the ceremony in
December. Prior to 1974, posthumous awards were permitted if the recipient had died after being
nominated.[15]
The rules for the Nobel Prize in Physics require that the significance of achievements being
recognized has been "tested by time". In practice it means that the lag between the discovery and
the award is typically on the order of 20 years and can be much longer. For example, half of the
1983 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar for his work on
stellar structure and evolution that was done during the 1930s. As a downside of this approach,
not all scientists live long enough for their work to be recognized. Some important scientific
discoveries are never considered for a prize, as the discoverers may have died by the time the
impact of their work is appreciated