UW-Madison professor Francis Halzen wins Nobel Prize in physics
A University of Wisconsin-Madison professor of physics was awarded the Nobel Prize of Physics in Stockholm, Sweden on Oct. 6.
Francis Halzen, a professor born in Belgium with a long resume of prestigious awards, received the award for his contributions to the understanding of neutrinos, astrophysical particles produced by energetic events in the universe, according to a UW-Madison news release.
Halzen leads work at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, an Antarctic telescope embedded a kilometer into ice. The IceCube telescope was the first to provide evidence of a source of high-energy cosmic rays, the release states, which scientists have struggled to pinpoint since their discovery over 100 years ago.
The IceCube observatory was upgraded earlier this year, allowing for more precise measurements of neutrino properties, according to a February news release from the university. Scientific institutions around the world supported the upgrade, with light sensors from Germany and Japan and surface cables from Sweden. The upgrade also installed two seismometers – the deepest in the world – to help scientists monitor earthquakes with never-before-seen clarity and collected deep ice water samples.
On a Zoom call with colleagues, students and local and international reporters Oct. 6, Halzen expressed gratitude to UW-Madison and the U.S. National Science Foundation for supporting and investing in the project, which began in the 1980s.
