Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.
Halzen, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was recognised for pioneering the use of Antarctic ice to detect elusive subatomic particles known as neutrinos, sometimes described as “ghost particles.”
His work was instrumental in the development of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a massive detector embedded deep beneath the ice at the South Pole. The facility uses thousands of light sensors to detect rare interactions involving neutrinos arriving from distant cosmic events.
Neutrinos can travel through matter with very little interaction, allowing scientists to trace them back to some of the most energetic phenomena in the universe, including supernovae and other extreme cosmic events.
Halzen first proposed using the South Pole ice to detect neutrinos in 1988, a vision that eventually led to the completion of IceCube in 2011. The observatory later detected high-energy neutrinos from beyond our galaxy, opening a new way of studying the universe.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said the prize recognises Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.” The award carries a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to about $1.2 million.
The 2026 Physics Nobel marks a major recognition of research that has expanded humanity’s ability to observe and understand the universe beyond conventional astronomy.
