Nobel Prize in Physics 2026 goes to Belgian-American scientist Francis Halzen for catching 'ghost particles' from deep Space
PTC Web Desk: Francis Halzen, a Belgian-American particle physicist, has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on Tuesday.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences honoured him for his key role in the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and for the detection of very high-energy neutrinos that reach Earth from space.
Neutrinos are tiny particles that pass through almost everything, which is why they are often called "ghost particles". IceCube, built deep in the Antarctic ice, helps scientists spot them and trace where in the universe they come from.
The Academy said he was chosen for his major role in building and leading the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and for helping prove that high-energy neutrinos reach Earth from far-off cosmic sources. The physics prize carries 12 million Swedish crowns, about $1.2 million. If more than one person wins, the money is divided among them.
This was the second Nobel announced this year. The medicine prize was declared on Monday and chemistry is next on Wednesday.
Where the Nobel Prizes come from
The prizes were created from the will of Alfred Nobel, the Swedish inventor and businessman who made much of his fortune from dynamite. They were first given out in 1901 for science, literature and peace. The economics prize was added later by Sweden's central bank.
Physics was close to Nobel's heart, and the prize is still one of the biggest honours in the field. Past winners include Albert Einstein, Marie and Pierre Curie, Max Planck and Niels Bohr.
Last year's winners
In 2025, the physics prize went to three US-based scientists: John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis. Their experiments showed quantum physics at work in a way that can be seen in the lab. Their work is expected to help the next generation of computers and other digital technology.
What happens next
The winners will receive their medals from Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf in Stockholm on December 10, the day Alfred Nobel died. A banquet at Stockholm City Hall follows. The Nobel Peace Prize is handled separately and is presented in Oslo.
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