Belgian-American particle 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 originating from cosmic sources.
The Nobel Prize-awarding body announced the decision on Tuesday, October 6.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences selects the laureates for the Nobel Prize in Physics. The prize carries a total award of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to about $1.2 million, which is shared if there is more than one laureate.
Halzen is recognised for his leading role in the development of IceCube, a massive neutrino detector built deep beneath the Antarctic ice at the South Pole. The observatory has enabled scientists to detect extremely energetic neutrinos and trace some of them back to powerful sources beyond our galaxy.
Neutrinos are electrically neutral subatomic particles that interact only very weakly with matter, allowing them to travel vast cosmic distances largely undisturbed. Their detection provides scientists with a new way of studying some of the most energetic phenomena in the universe.
The Nobel Prize was established through the will of Swedish inventor and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel. First awarded in 1901, the prizes recognise outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace. A separate prize in economic sciences was added later by Sweden’s central bank.
The Physics Nobel has long been regarded as one of the world’s highest scientific honours. Previous laureates include Albert Einstein, Marie and Pierre Curie, Max Planck and Niels Bohr, whose work helped shape modern physics.
This year’s Physics Nobel is the second Nobel Prize announcement of 2026. The medicine prize was announced on Monday, while the chemistry prize is scheduled to be announced on Wednesday.
The Nobel medals will be presented to the laureates by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a ceremony in Stockholm on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. A formal banquet will follow at Stockholm City Hall.
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