以表彰他在理解宇宙裡結構形成的貢獻。他運用強大的數值模擬揭示在早期的宇宙中的微小密度漲落怎樣發展成現今宇宙所看見的星系和其他非線性結構，提供了有力的證據支持具有平直幾何、並由暗物質和宇宙常數所支配的宇宙模型。
2017年度邵逸夫天文學獎頒予西蒙 • 懷特 (Simon D M White)以表彰他對理解宇宙裡結構形成的貢獻。他運用強大的數值模擬，揭示在早期的宇宙中的微小密度漲落怎樣發展成現今宇宙所看見的星系和其他非線性結構，提供了有力的證據支持具有平直幾何、並由暗物質和宇宙學常數所支配的宇宙模型。西蒙 • 懷特 是德國馬克斯普朗克天體物理研究所所長。
最近在宇宙學中非常重要的一項成果是標準宇宙學模型的發展，它解釋了宇宙中很多不同類型的觀察現象。在這個模型中，微小的初始密度漲落在大爆炸之後不久存在，可能是通過量子漲落而產生。從那時至138億年之後的現在，這些微小的漲落發展成為當前擁有豐富結構的可見宇宙︰無論在尺碼、質量、光度和外觀均涵蓋寬廣範圍的各種星系，巨大的星系團，以及一個龐大而複雜的氣體和星系宇宙網，連接著最大的星系團。這個宇宙結構的演變，原則上由眾所周知的萬有引力定律、流體動力學和相對論所確定，但解決這些方程式一直是個艱巨的挑戰。
Perhaps the most important recent result in cosmology is the development of a cosmological standard model that explains a remarkable variety of observational phenomena in the Universe. In this model, small initial fluctuations in density existed near the Big Bang, perhaps generated via quantum fluctuations. Between that time and the present, 13.8 billion years later, these small fluctuations developed into the rich observed structure that characterizes the current Universe: galaxies with a wide range of sizes, masses, luminosities, and appearance; groups and gigantic clusters of galaxies, and a vast, complex cosmic web of gas and galaxies connecting the largest clusters. The evolution of this cosmic structure is determined in principle by the well-known laws of gravity, hydrodynamics, and relativity; but solving these equations has been an immense challenge.
Over the past four decades Simon White, together with an exceptional group of collaborators and students, has developed N-body computer simulations as a new tool of extraordinary power, yielding fundamental insights into cosmic structure formation. The recent “Millennium simulation” captures with great precision the time evolution of cosmic structure between 10 million years after the Big Bang to the present, with over 10,000 million particles representing dark matter distributed in a cube of 2.2 billion light years on a side. In post-processing of this simulation, White, Springel and their colleagues also added models of the small-scale physical processes that govern the evolution of normal matter within the dark matter halos. The formation of stars in galaxies results from a competition between gas cooling and the ejection of matter from the galaxies through the action of supernovae and massive black holes. These semianalytic methods were first proposed by White and Frenk in 1991, and their current predictions for galaxy properties match a remarkable variety of observations, such that such simulations are beginning to approach the age-old dream of “creating the Universe in a computer”.
西蒙．懷特 (Simon D M White) 1951年出生於英國肯特郡阿什福德市，現為德國馬克斯普朗克天體物理研究所所長。1972年於英國劍橋大學取得數學學士學位，並於1977年於該校取得天文學博士學位。他曾在美國加州大學柏克萊分校擔任林德曼研究員(1977–1978)及劍橋大學擔任研究員(1979–1980)。之後於1981年至1984年期間返回加州大學柏克萊分校擔任客座助理教授。隨後，他加入美國 阿利桑那大學斯圖爾德天文台任職，1984年至1987年為副教授/天文學家，1987年至1991年為教授/天文學家。他於1992年至1994年擔任歐洲天文學研究協會總監。自1994年起成為德國馬克斯普朗克天體物理研究所所長。西蒙．懷特是英國倫敦皇家學會院士。
