Nobel Prize in Physics Announced, Polar Tracking of “Ghost Particles” Opens a New Era in Astronomy | WPN World People News

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics was announced on the 6th, with the prestigious award going solely to 82-year-old Belgian-American scholar Francis Halzen. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said Halzen was recognized primarily for his advocacy of using the pure ice beneath Antarctica as a detection medium, which led to the establishment of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the successful detection of high-energy neutrinos from the depths of the universe. This groundbreaking achievement has opened up an entirely new window for humanity to observe the cosmos, allowing scientists to glimpse violent celestial phenomena that traditional optical instruments cannot detect.

Known as “ghost particles,” neutrinos have extremely small masses and interact with other matter only very weakly, allowing them to pass easily through celestial bodies. Scientists regard them as excellent cosmic messengers, and some have even envisioned them as potential means of communication between interstellar civilizations. In an interview, however, Halzen jokingly remarked that while such hypotheses are fascinating, he remains focused on tackling more concrete research questions for now.

Halzen currently teaches at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the United States. After learning that he had received the prestigious award, he humbly credited the honor to the team members who had bravely committed to the project alongside him from the beginning. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever also extended his warm congratulations, praising Halzen as the second outstanding scholar in Belgium’s history to receive the highest honor in physics. As the Nobel Prize marks its 125th anniversary this year, the total prize money for each category has been raised to 12 million Swedish kronor, with the award ceremony scheduled to take place on December 10.