The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 physics Nobel to Belgian physicist Francis Halzen of the University of Wisconsin-Madison for leadership of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the detection of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday to Francis Halzen for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.
Halzen, a Belgian physicist and professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, first set out a South Pole detection concept in 1988. IceCube uses a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice fitted with light sensors to record flashes produced when neutrinos interact with atomic nuclei.
The prize citation says his scientific leadership was fundamental to the instrument. Mark Pearce, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said Halzen led an international team that built a tool opening a new kind of astronomy. The award is 12 million Swedish kronor.
Neutrinos pass through ordinary matter almost undisturbed. IceCube is aimed at much higher-energy neutrinos from violent processes beyond the solar system, rather than the vast flux produced by the Sun.
The academy announced the prize in Stockholm on 6 October. Further Nobel announcements continue through the week.
People Sentiments Positive
- Mark Pearce said Halzen's tenacity and scientific vision paved the way for a new kind of astronomy.
- The Royal Swedish Academy said his vision and leadership were fundamental for IceCube.