Nobel physics prize honours work on 'ghostly messengers' from outer space
Belgian physicist Francis Halzen has been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. His research uses Antarctic ice to detect high-energy neutrinos, which provide unique insights into distant cosmic processes.
Why it matters
This recognition highlights a major advancement in astrophysics, enabling scientists to observe the universe in ways previously impossible.
OSLO - Belgian physicist Francis Halzen on Tuesday won the Nobel physics prize for groundbreaking work using South Pole ice to capture particles originating in the distant cosmos, providing insight into the far reaches of space.
"This year's prize is about ghostly messengers from space," Ellen Moons, secretary general of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, told a news conference.
Halzen was honoured "for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin", the jury said.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Halzen's work had been fundamental for the observatory, which consists of a cubic kilometre of ice that is equipped with light sensors, and had "paved the way for a new kind of astronomy".
Using the observatory, researchers can capture neutrinos -- rare subatomic particles -- "from extremely energy-rich processes in the distant universe".
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