Francis Halzen wins Nobel Prize in Physics for work on ‘ghost particles’
Summary
Belgian physicist Francis Halzen won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for leading the creation of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica. This detector captures neutrinos, tiny particles from space, which help scientists learn about the universe and phenomena like exploding stars.Key Facts
- Francis Halzen is a Belgian physicist who proposed the IceCube project in 1988.
- The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a giant detector located under the ice at the South Pole.
- Neutrinos, known as “ghost particles,” have almost no mass and no electric charge, allowing them to pass through planets, stars, and human bodies without changing.
- When neutrinos hit an atomic nucleus in the ice, they produce a flash of light, which sensors in IceCube can detect.
- The observatory helps scientists study high-energy neutrinos and understand cosmic events, including how galaxies form and black holes work.
- Halzen expressed surprise and hopes the prize will help approve new research projects.
- The Nobel Prize ceremony will take place on December 10 in Stockholm, with various members of Swedish and Norwegian royal families attending.
- Other recent Nobel Prizes include awards in quantum physics and physiology or medicine.
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