Francis Halzen Wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for IceCube Neutrino Discoveries

Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Tuesday, citing his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.

The observatory, built into the ice in Antarctica, was designed to catch neutrinos, near-massless particles that pass through ordinary matter with little interaction. According to CNN, Halzen first laid out plans for the project in 1988, envisioning sensors embedded in clear glacial ice that record brief flashes of light when a neutrino strikes an atomic nucleus.

A new window on the cosmos

Nobel committee chair Mark Pearce said Halzen led an international team of researchers and engineers who built what he called a fantastic instrument, according to CNN, opening what the network described as an entirely new type of astronomy. Because neutrinos travel largely undisturbed across stars, planets and galaxies, they can carry information from extreme cosmic environments that other messengers cannot easily reveal.

The physics prize, selected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, carries a total award of 12 million Swedish crowns, about $1.2 million, shared if there are multiple winners, according to Reuters. It is the second Nobel announced this year, following Monday’s medicine prize, with chemistry to follow on Wednesday. Medals are presented by King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm on December 10.

Reporting based on coverage by Reuters and CNN.