This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was announced on Tuesday for Belgian scientist Francis Halzen.
Halzen has been awarded this prestigious prize for the discovery of high-energy ‘neutrinos’ (the tiniest fundamental particles inside atoms) originating from extreme astronomical events in the universe, as well as for his contributions to the ‘IceCube’ neutrino observatory at the South Pole in Antarctica.
Regarding this, the chair of the Nobel Prize Committee for Physics, Mark Pease, said, “In building the highly remarkable IceCube neutrino observatory, Francis Halzen led an international team of scientists and engineers through severe technical challenges. His perseverance and scientific foresight have led to a new kind of astronomy,” he said.
Halzen, who is 82 years old, was born in Belgium. He later moved to the United States, where he is a professor at the renowned University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Neutrinos are cosmic particles with an astonishingly tiny mass. These mysterious particles, emitted by the Sun and other stars, are everywhere. Halsen conducted an extensive study of a rare type of neutrino cluster that provides clues to how the universe evolved. He also said that he had not expected to be announced as the recipient of the Nobel Prize. It comes with a prize amount of 1.2 million dollars (Rs. 11.56 crore).
The Nobel Prize in Medicine for this year was announced last Monday to three scientists. The Nobel Prizes for Chemistry, Literature, Peace, and Economics will be announced one after another.
Following the will of Swedish scientist and dynamite inventor Alfred Nobel, this prize has been awarded since 1901. The prizes will be presented on Dec. 10, the day of his death anniversary.
Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was shared by three scientists.
BREAKING NEWS The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2026 #NobelPrize in Physics to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.” https://t.co/UcPBWk0RiK
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 6, 2026
The Nobel Prize award ceremony is held in Stockholm and in Norway’s capital, Oslo, on Dec. 10, the day Alfred Nobel passed away.
This marks the 120th time the Nobel Prize in Physics is being awarded. It is noteworthy that in 2025, the Nobel Prize in Physics was shared by three American scientists — John Clarke (83), Michel H. Devoret (72), and John M. Martinis (67). The Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to these three for their research on quantum tunneling, which is helping advance digital technology.