Nobel physics prize awarded for discovery of ‘ghostly messengers’ from the cosmos
Researcher Francis Halzen has been awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. The project uses sensors buried in Antarctic ice to detect high-energy 'ghostly' neutrinos originating from distant cosmic events like black holes.
Why it matters
This discovery provides a new way to observe the universe, allowing scientists to study high-energy phenomena that were previously invisible.
With a colleague, Halzen came up with the vision for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. Christopher Michel , CC BY-SA Nobel physics prize awarded for discovery of ‘ghostly messengers’ from the cosmos Published: October 6, 2026 1.13pm BST https://theconversation.com/nobel-physics-prize-awarded-for-discovery-of-ghostly-messengers-from-the-cosmos-293293 https://theconversation.com/nobel-physics-prize-awarded-for-discovery-of-ghostly-messengers-from-the-cosmos-293293 Link copied Share article Share article
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The 2026 Nobel prize for physics has been awarded to US-based researcher Francis Halzen for his discovery of high energy neutrino particles from space.
The Nobel committee said Halzen has made “decisive contributions” to the discovery of “neutrinos of astrophysical origin” with IceCube, an experiment installed under ice at the South Pole.
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