Antarctic Ghost Particle Hunter Francis Halzen Wins the Nobel Prize in Physics
He was awarded this prestigious prize for his contributions to the IceCube observatory and discoveries of high-energy cosmic neutrinos that shed light on the evolution of the universe.
Belgian-born physicist Francis Halzen, who investigates ghost particles unraveling the mystery of the universe in the Antarctic glaciers, has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his discoveries of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin and his contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.
Winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics Announced
Ellen Moons, Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announced the winner of this year's prize to the public at a statement in Stockholm.
It was announced that the monetary value of this year's prize is 12 million Swedish kronor, which is equivalent to approximately $1.2 million.
Turned a Massive Mass of Ice into a Detector
82-year-old physicist Francis Halzen, working at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States, proposed the idea of turning massive Antarctic ice into a particle detector.
This innovative idea was evaluated as the most critical step paving the way for the construction of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica.
Neutrinos from Distant Galaxies
Rare neutrino particles, which researchers believe hold clues to the evolution of the universe, were examined thanks to this established observatory.
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory managed to detect the first high-energy neutrinos coming from very distant galaxies.