STOCKHOLM (VINnews) — Belgian-American physicist Francis Halzen was awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for his decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos originating from astrophysical sources beyond Earth.

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The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award in Stockholm, praising Halzen’s leadership in developing IceCube, a massive neutrino detector embedded deep beneath the ice at the South Pole. The prize recognizes work that has opened a new way of observing some of the most violent and energetic phenomena in the universe.

“Francis Halzen has led an international team of researchers and engineers who have provided us with a fantastic instrument. His tenacity and scientific vision has paved the way for a new kind of astronomy,” said Mark Pearce, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics.

Halzen, 82, was born in Belgium and is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His work on neutrino detection at the South Pole dates back to the 1980s, when he recognized that the enormous volume of Antarctic ice could be used as a detector for these elusive particles.

Neutrinos are subatomic particles with extremely small mass that interact only very weakly with matter. Billions pass through every square centimeter of Earth every second, yet they are extraordinarily difficult to detect. Unlike light, neutrinos can travel enormous distances through matter without being absorbed, allowing scientists to study distant cosmic events that may otherwise be hidden from view.

IceCube uses thousands of light-sensitive optical sensors buried roughly a mile beneath the South Pole. When a neutrino collides with an atom in the ice, the resulting interaction can produce a tiny flash of blue light. The sensors detect these flashes, allowing researchers to reconstruct the direction and energy of the incoming particle. The observatory contains about 5,000 optical sensors distributed through approximately one cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice.

The breakthrough came in 2013, when IceCube reported the detection of high-energy neutrinos that could not be explained by ordinary atmospheric processes. Researchers identified 28 extremely energetic events, providing strong evidence for neutrinos originating outside Earth’s atmosphere and opening a new era in astronomy.

The discovery was significant because cosmic neutrinos can reveal information about powerful particle accelerators in the universe. Since neutrinos are not easily absorbed or deflected by magnetic fields, they can travel directly from their sources, potentially allowing scientists to identify where some of the universe’s highest-energy cosmic rays are produced.

IceCube has since continued to detect astrophysical neutrinos and has helped develop what scientists call “multimessenger astronomy,” combining information from neutrinos with observations using light and other cosmic signals. The observatory has provided an unprecedented view of energetic processes occurring far beyond the Milky Way.

The 2026 Physics Nobel carries a monetary award of 12 million Swedish kronor, approximately $1.2 million. Halzen’s award is the second Nobel Prize announced this year, following Monday’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

The Nobel announcements continue Wednesday with the Chemistry Prize, followed by Literature on Thursday and the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences will be announced next Monday.

The Nobel prizes will formally be presented in December, with the ceremonies traditionally held on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.