Francis Halzen Receives Nobel Prize In Physics For The Discovery Of Neutrinos

New Delhi: Have you ever heard of a particle that, in the blink of an eye, passes through your body, the Earth, and the entire universe without anyone noticing? In the world of science, these are called "neutrinos" or "ghost particles." The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been announced to Professor Francis Halzen, the renowned scientist who discovered these mysterious particles.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded him this highest honour for his groundbreaking contributions to the detection of cosmic neutrinos by conceiving and installing the IceCube Neutrino Observatory beneath the freezing ice of Antarctica.

What are neutrinos and why are they called 'ghost particles'?

Neutrinos are extremely tiny particles that travel through the universe at nearly the speed of light. They have almost negligible mass and no electrical charge. Because they easily pass through matter without colliding, they are commonly known as ghost particles. By detecting high-energy neutrinos emitted from violent explosions in distant space, such as supernovae or black holes, scientists have been able to gather precise information about the most distant and mysterious regions of the universe.

A unique telescope built under the ice: IceCube Observatory

Halzen and his team built a unique detector, IceCube, about 2.5 kilometers deep inside the ice at Antarctica's South Pole. It is the world's most unique telescope, looking deep into the Earth and ice, rather than at the sky. In 2013, IceCube made history when it detected the first high-energy cosmic neutrinos coming from outside our galaxy.

Belgian-born 82-year-old Halzen's 40-year struggle

The renowned Belgian-born scientist Francis Halzen, 82, who is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, has long been associated with the research station at the South Pole in Antarctica, where his work on capturing and researching neutrinos has been ongoing since the 1980s. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences honoured him by announcing this year's Nobel Prize in Physics in Stockholm, which carries a prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately Rs 11.55 crore).