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The Economic Times
The Economic Times

What are 'ghost particles' that pass through your body every second? Francis Halzen wins Physics Nobel for catching them in South Pole ice

Francis Halzen Mark Pearce Solar System the University of WisconsinMadison Nobel Prize Science

Belgian-born physicist Francis Halzen has won the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics for turning a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice into a telescope that catches "ghost particles" from the most violent corners of the universe.

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced the award on Tuesday. Halzen, 82, of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is honoured for his decisive role in the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos that come from beyond our Solar System. The prize carries 12 million Swedish kronor.

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