The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics 2026 to Francis Halzen “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin”. A statement by Antonio Zoccoli, President of INFN “On behalf of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to Francis Halzen on being awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
We are truly delighted to see this prestigious honour recognise his extraordinary contribution to the physics of cosmic neutrinos and, in particular, to the construction and scientific achievements of the IceCube experiment. The Nobel Prize awarded to Francis, who is a friend, a colleague, and a member of INFN’s International Evaluation Committee, is an important recognition for the entire neutrino and astroparticle physics community. These are frontier fields of fundamental physics research to which INFN has made, and continues to make, essential contributions. INFN is deeply involved in the construction of the KM3NeT underwater observatory in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Sicily, as well as in major underground experiments at its Gran Sasso National Laboratories. Among these, Borexino achieved remarkable scientific successes under the leadership of Gianpaolo Bellini and Frank Calaprice. Scientific infrastructures such as IceCube and KM3NeT are part of the new era of multi-messenger astronomy, which combines information from different cosmic messengers to investigate some of the most profound open questions about our Universe. These projects are complementary to facilities dedicated to the detection of gravitational waves, such as Virgo and LIGO, and to the future next-generation detector Einstein Telescope, which we hope will be hosted in Sardinia.”
A statement by Ezio Previtali, Director of The Gran Sasso National Laboratory: "I was very pleased to learn that Francis Halzen has been awarded the Nobel Prize, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to neutrino research through the development of the IceCube Telescope in Antarctica. The use of IceCube has opened a new frontier in neutrino science, namely the study of high-energy neutrinos originating from the cosmos. The ability to observe these particles has marked a significant breakthrough, paving the way for what we now call multi-messenger physics, which combines information from different experimental facilities to investigate cosmic particles. At the The Gran Sasso National Laboratory, we are also directly involved in the development of technologies and experiments aimed at improving our understanding of neutrinos. This recognition of Francis Halzen is therefore of great importance to the entire scientific community working in this field".
NOBEL PRIZE IN PHYSICS WEB SITE
REIS - 06.10.2026