The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Francis Halzen for IceCube and high-energy neutrinos

The Nobel Committee website says that Halzen realized that the ice at the South Pole could be used to track neutrinos. It also notes that his vision and scientific leadership played a foundational role in the creation of IceCube — an “ice cube” equipped with light sensors.

Halzen first presented the concept of detecting neutrinos at the South Pole in 1988. The IceCube observatory, occupying a volume of one cubic kilometer, was commissioned in 2011.

Using IceCube, researchers can capture neutrinos from extremely energy-rich processes in distant parts of the Universe. This is also reflected in the committee’s wording about “high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin”.

The award was also reported by The Insider. Last year, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to John Clarke, Michel Devoret, and John Martinis for experiments with quantum effects in the “big world”.

Sources

• Material: theins.ru