Professor Francis Halzen has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. The cubic‑kilometre detector uses Antarctic ice and thousands of light sensors to capture fleeting neutrinos, the ‘ghost particles’ that carry information from distant cosmic explosions. Halzen first proposed the idea in 1988, and the project now supplies vital data for astrophysics and particle physics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences praised his vision and leadership, noting his work’s transformative impact on high‑energy research. This award marks a milestone for neutrino astronomy and underlines IceCube’s role in mapping the high‑energy universe.
Belgian physicist Prof Francis Halzen has won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his pioneering work on an observatory that detects particles from space, shedding light on the distant universe.
Halzen led the development of IceCube at the South Pole, which uses a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice fitted with light sensors to detect particles called neutrinos. These neutrinos carry information about violent, high‑energy processes in the cosmos.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said 'his vision and scientific leadership have been fundamental for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory'.
Halzen first presented his vision for detecting neutrinos at the South Pole in 1988.
