Nobel Prize: Neutrino researcher Francis Halzen receives the Nobel Prize in Physics

Stockholm. This year's Nobel Prize in Physics goes to the Belgian-American particle researcher Francis Halzen (82) for crucial contributions to the “IceCube” neutrino observatory. “His tenacity and scientific vision paved the way for a new kind of astronomy,” said Physics Nobel Committee Chairman Mark Pearce.

Halzen, who conducts research at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, recognized that the ice at the South Pole is suitable for tracking neutrinos - often called ghost particles. He first presented his plans in 1988. This vision and his scientific leadership were fundamental to “IceCube” – a cubic kilometer of ice equipped with sensors that was completed in 2011.

With the observatory, researchers can detect neutrinos from extremely high-energy processes in the distant universe. “Francis Halzen led an international team of researchers and engineers that provided us with a fantastic instrument,” said Pearce.

Neutrinos are among the most mysterious elementary particles. On average, ten billion hit every square centimeter of the earth's surface every second. However, they are quite shy fellows: they hardly interact with ordinary matter. In order to detect the volatile particles, large amounts of matter are required, which consist of substances that are as pure as possible and can react with neutrinos. One such substance is water, for example - in the Antarctic ice it is present in large quantities in a sufficiently pure form.