Francis Halzen

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IceCube detects cosmic neutrinos far more energetic than the sun's

Received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on IceCube.

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has finished a detector upgrade and is developing a larger successor, IceCube-Gen2. The collaboration said so at its fall meeting in Madison, Wisconsin, where researchers also celebrated a Nobel Prize.

Updated Nov 2

Francis Halzen wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for IceCube neutrino discoveries

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Awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics went to Francis Halzen for building a telescope out of a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice. IceCube caught high-energy neutrinos from beyond our galaxy, the first cosmic messengers that are not light.

Updated Oct 17

Notable Quotes

This is the first indication of high-energy neutrinos coming from outside our solar system.

from IceCube detects cosmic neutrinos far more energetic than the sun's · Updated Nov 2

Francis Halzen has led an international team of researchers and engineers who have provided us with a fantastic instrument. His tenacity and scientific vision has paved the way for a new kind of astronomy. — Mark Pearce, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics

from Francis Halzen wins 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for IceCube neutrino discoveries · Updated Oct 17