Halzen honoured for contributions to IceCube observatory and discovery of high-energy neutrinos originating from distant astrophysical sources
Stockholm, Oct 2026 : Belgian physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos originating from astrophysical sources.
Announcing the award, Ellen Moons, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, described this year’s prize as being about “ghostly messengers from space”.
The Nobel jury honoured Halzen for his role in advancing the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a massive scientific installation built into Antarctic ice. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Halzen’s scientific vision and leadership were fundamental to the development of the observatory, which consists of a cubic kilometre of ice equipped with thousands of light sensors.
The IceCube detector allows scientists to identify neutrinos, extremely elusive subatomic particles produced by some of the most energetic processes in the universe. Because neutrinos rarely interact with matter, they can travel vast cosmic distances without being significantly deflected or absorbed, providing researchers with information about distant astrophysical phenomena.
Professor Eva Olsson, a member of the Nobel Committee for Physics, described the project as a giant ice cube positioned at the South Pole that enables scientists to detect neutrinos.
Halzen, 82, was born in Tienen, Belgium, and is a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States. Speaking by telephone shortly after the announcement, he said he was surprised by the honour.
“It was a great surprise, and I obviously didn't expect it,” Halzen said. “But it's a great pleasure to hear about this prize.”
His work has played an important role in establishing neutrino astronomy as a field through which scientists can study the universe using particles rather than conventional light-based observations.
The Physics Nobel is the second award to be announced during this year’s Nobel season. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded on Monday to US psychiatrist and neurologist Karl Deisseroth and German scientists Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel for pioneering work in optogenetics, a field that uses light to control nerve signals.
Last year’s Physics Nobel went to British physicist John Clarke and Frenchman Michel Devoret and American John Martinis for experiments demonstrating quantum mechanical effects in electrical circuits, work that has contributed to the development of quantum technologies.
The Nobel announcements will continue with the Chemistry Prize on Wednesday, followed by the Literature Prize on Thursday. The Peace Prize, one of the most closely watched awards, is scheduled to be announced on Friday, while the Economics Prize will conclude the season on October 12.
The Nobel Prize includes a diploma, a gold medal and a cash award of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to around $1.2 million. The prize money is shared if more than one laureate is selected in a category.
The Nobel laureates will formally receive their awards at ceremonies on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish scientist and inventor who established the prizes through his will.
Halzen’s recognition highlights the growing importance of neutrino research in understanding some of the universe’s most energetic and distant phenomena, while placing the extraordinary scientific infrastructure at the South Pole at the centre of modern particle physics.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
