Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for South Pole particle research

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INNOVATION Nobel Prize in Physics awarded for South Pole particle research by Laura Varley 6 Oct 2026 Save article Francis Halzen. Francis Halzen, a Belgian-born physicist and a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work at the IceCube (Nanosatellite) Neutrino Observatory.

The academy said: “His vision and scientific leadership have been fundamental for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a cubic kilometre of ice that is equipped with light sensors. Using IceCube, researchers can capture neutrinos from extremely energy-rich processes in the distant universe.” Halzen first presented his ideas for the capture of neutrinos at the South Pole in the late 1980s.

Belgium’s Francis Halzen realised that ice at the South Pole could be used to track particles known as neutrinos. Halzen was recognised by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences for his realisation that ice located at the South Pole can be used to track nearly massless particles known as neutrinos, which are capable of passing through Earth without changing direction or losing energy.