Scientist Francis Halzen wins Nobel Prize in Physics, unlocks 'new kind of astronomy'
Belgium born Francis Halzen (82) won the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for his contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos originating beyond Earth.
"His tenacity and scientific vision has paved the way for a new kind of astronomy,” Mark Pearce, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, said while announcing the award.
Halzan is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the U.S. His research into neutrino detection at the South Pole began in the 1980s and ultimately contributed to establishing IceCube as a powerful instrument for investigating some of the universe’s most energetic phenomena as reported by Ynet.
This year’s Nobel announcements will continue on Wednesday with chemistry, followed by literature on Thursday and the peace prize on Friday. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences is set to be announced Monday.
