Belgian-American scientist Francis Halzen, a particle physicist, has been declared the recipient of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics in Stockholm on Tuesday. Halzen, aged 82, was acknowledged for his significant contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the identification of high-energy neutrinos originating from astrophysical sources, as stated by the awarding organization. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is situated at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica.
Halzen’s groundbreaking idea was to utilize ice at the South Pole to trace neutrinos, often referred to as “ghost particles” due to their ability to traverse the Earth and human bodies without leaving a mark, interacting with matter only exceptionally rarely.
At a press conference, Eva Olsson from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences mentioned, “The messengers bring information from the cosmos. They open the door to distant galaxies and tell us about the processes of exploding stars.”
The recipients of the Nobel Physics Prize are annually selected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and are awarded a prize sum of 12 million Swedish crowns ($1.7 million Cdn).
The IceCube, covering an entire cubic kilometer, became operational in 2011, marking the realization of a long-held vision for the South Pole observatory that originated in the late 1980s, according to the academy.
During a phone call to the news conference, Halzen expressed his gratitude to his collaborators over the years, emphasizing the initial skepticism surrounding the project’s success. Affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the U.S., Halzen conveyed his delight and surprise at the recognition while attending a conference in Italy.
In 2014, the U.S.-based Smithsonian magazine bestowed Halzen with one of its Ingenuity Awards, dubbing him “Neutrino Man.”
Neutrinos, minute cosmic particles with an incredibly small mass, are ubiquitous, emanating from celestial bodies like the sun, with trillions passing through our bodies every second. Scientists rely on measuring the interactions of neutrinos with matter to observe them indirectly, producing light flashes or charged particles.
Halzen’s research focused on a unique subset of neutrinos considered cosmic messengers, offering insights into the evolution of the universe. Mark Pearce, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, lauded Halzen’s leadership of an international team that provided a crucial instrument for astronomical discoveries.
An extension project, IceCube-Gen2, encompassing eight cubic kilometers of ice, is slated to be operational by 2033, aiming to detect a larger number of neutrinos, including weaker ones, ten times more effectively.
Halzen emphasized that the full impact of his work is yet to be realized, indicating the forthcoming revelations about the universe through this pioneering research.
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever extended congratulations to Halzen for his dedication to unraveling the cosmos’ mysteries through the study of its most minute manifestations.
The Swedish academy recognized the discovery of neutrino oscillations in 2015, with Canadian scientist Dr. Arthur McDonald sharing the Nobel physics prize that year.
The Nobel Prize in Chemistry will be announced on Wednesday, the literature prize on Thursday, and the peace prize on Friday. The economics prize will be announced on October 12.
Alfred Nobel, a wealthy Swedish chemist and entrepreneur, created the Nobel Prize, stipulating in his will that his estate should fund prizes for those who have made the greatest contributions to humankind in the preceding year. Nobel was renowned for inventing dynamite and had diverse interests, including poetry and languages. The Nobel prizes are traditionally presented to the laureates on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel’s death.