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Francis Halzen has won the physics Nobel for his work on IceCube, which uses Antarctic ice to detect elusive particles from distant space, the BBC reports.
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Belgian-born physicist Francis Halzen has won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on IceCube, according to the BBC. He led the development of the South Pole observatory, which detects neutrinos from space and helps scientists investigate distant cosmic events. [1]
IceCube is not a telescope in space. Its light sensors sit within a cubic kilometre of Antarctic ice. Most neutrinos pass through the ice, but an occasional interaction produces a flash of light. Researchers use the light’s pattern and timing to estimate the direction from which a neutrino arrived, rather than pinpoint its source exactly. [1]
IceCube searches for high-energy neutrinos produced by violent processes beyond the Solar System. Halzen first proposed detecting neutrinos at the South Pole in 1988. The BBC reports that the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences credited his vision and scientific leadership as fundamental to the observatory. [1]
At a news conference, Halzen said he was surprised the project worked so well. He recalled that few people thought it would succeed when it began, including himself. [1]
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