Belgian-born 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 of astrophysical origin.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Halzen, who is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was recognised “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.”
Halzen’s work helped establish a new approach to astronomy by using neutrinos — elusive subatomic particles — as messengers from the distant universe.
His central idea was to use the glacial ice at the South Pole to detect neutrinos arriving from astrophysical sources.
That concept led to the development of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, which is capable of tracking high-energy neutrinos originating far beyond Earth.
The Nobel committee said Halzen’s contributions laid the foundation for an entirely new type of astronomy, allowing scientists to study the universe through particles that are exceptionally difficult to detect.
Halzen was born on March 23, 1944, in Tienen, Belgium.
His award follows the announcement of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, continuing this year’s Nobel Prize announcements across the sciences.
