Francis Halzen, a Belgian-American particle physicist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm announced the honor on Tuesday.
The award recognizes Halzen for his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. These ghost-like subatomic particles are observed by the IceCube detector located at the South Pole.
The 82-year-old scientist's research into capturing neutrinos at the South Pole dates back to the 1980s. For his achievements, Halzen will receive a prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, which is approximately £900,000.