Nobel Prize in Physics Awarded to Belgian Francis Halzen for Research on Subatomic Particles at the South Pole

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Belgian physicist Francis Halzen in recognition of his work on subatomic particles in the South Pole. The committee stated that Halzen was honored “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 noted that “Halzen’s vision and scientific leadership” were fundamental to the observatory, which it described as “a cubic-kilometer block of ice equipped with light sensors.” Using this observatory, researchers can detect neutrinos, rare subatomic particles “produced by immensely energetic processes in the distant universe,” thereby opening a new field in astronomy, as these particles carry new information about the cosmos.

At a press conference, Mark Persson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said that Halzen’s scientific vision and perseverance paved the way for a new type of astronomy. Professor Eva Olsson, a member of the Nobel Committee for Physics, told journalists at the Academy’s headquarters in Stockholm, “This Nobel Prize concerns a giant ice cube located at the South Pole of our planet; this ice cube enables the detection of neutrinos.”

Halzen, 82, was born in Tienen, Belgium, and is a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States. Speaking by phone at a press conference following the announcement of the award, Halzen said, “It was a great surprise; clearly, I did not expect it.” He added, “But I was overjoyed to hear the news of winning this prize.”