New Delhi: Have you overly heard of a particle that, in the twinkle of an eye, passes through your body, the Earth, and the unshortened universe without anyone noticing? In the world of science, these are tabbed "neutrinos" or "ghost particles." The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been spoken to Professor Francis Halzen, the renowned scientist who discovered these mysterious particles.
The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded him this highest honour for his groundbreaking contributions to the detection of cosmic neutrinos by stargazing and installing the IceCube Neutrino Observatory underneath the freezing ice of Antarctica.
What are neutrinos and why are they tabbed 'ghost particles'?
Neutrinos are extremely tiny particles that travel through the universe at nearly the speed of light. They have scrutinizingly negligible mass and no electrical charge. Because they hands pass through matter without colliding, they are wontedly known as ghost particles. By detecting high-energy neutrinos emitted from violent explosions in afar space, such as supernovae or woebegone holes, scientists have been worldly-wise to gather precise information well-nigh the most afar and mysterious regions of the universe.
A unique telescope built under the ice: IceCube Observatory
Halzen and his team built a unique detector, IceCube, well-nigh 2.5 kilometers deep inside the ice at Antarctica's South Pole. It is the world's most unique telescope, looking deep into the Earth and ice, rather than at the sky. In 2013, IceCube made history when it detected the first high-energy cosmic neutrinos coming from outside our galaxy.
Belgian-born 82-year-old Halzen's 40-year struggle
The renowned Belgian-born scientist Francis Halzen, 82, who is united with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the US, has long been associated with the research station at the South Pole in Antarctica, where his work on capturing and researching neutrinos has been ongoing since the 1980s. The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences honoured him by announcing this year's Nobel Prize in Physics in Stockholm, which carries a prize money of 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately Rs 11.55 crore).
