Francis Halzen, a scientist born in Belgium ( Francis Halzen ), was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday for his contributions to revealing the mysteries of a rare type of neutrino. These tiny cosmic particles are considered by researchers to be able to provide clues as to how the universe evolved.
Halzen, during a telephone interview with the Nobel Committee in Physics in Italy, said, "This is truly a great surprise; I certainly did not expect to win the award." This conversation was played back at the press conference announcing the winners.
Halzen said that although outsiders predicted he would win an award, this announcement still felt "strange" to him.
“I’m working on a proposal, and I hope this award will help it get approved,” he said, to which the audience immediately responded with laughter.
Halzen has paved the way for a new branch of astronomy.
Neutrinos are cosmic particles with no charge and extremely small mass, making them extremely difficult to detect. However, they are everywhere: they emanate from stars such as the sun, and trillions of them pass through our bodies every second.
Scientists are unable to directly observe these mysterious "ghost particles" flying around; they can only measure what happens when they collide with other matter. Neutrinos collide with other particles extremely rarely, so scientists build large detectors to increase the chances of capturing these collisions.
Halzen proposed to transform the vast Antarctic ice sheet into such a detector. The Nobel Committee stated that his work was crucial for the construction of the Antarctic IceCube Neutrino Observatory ( IceCube Neutrino Observatory ), which has observed the first high-energy neutrinos from distant galaxies.
Michael Moloney, CEO of the American Institute of Physics ( Michael Moloney ), said: "This experiment in Antarctica represents a revolutionary way of understanding the universe that we have not had before."
When neutrinos interact within the ice layer in the detector, a flash of light is produced, which is captured by the sensors. The transparent ice layer makes it easier for scientists to detect the weak signals from these mysterious "ghost particles," and the sensors are buried at a depth of about 8,200 feet (2,500 meters) to prevent interference from cosmic rays and radiation.
This 82-year-old scientist is affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison in the United States, which is responsible for operating this observatory. The Associated Press attempted to contact him but was not successful immediately.
Halzen has helped to unveil a group of rare neutrinos, which scientists say hold clues to the evolution of the universe.
Jonathan Bagg, CEO of the American Institute of Physics ( Jonathan Bagger ), said: "This is all about figuring out our story in the universe, our place in the universe, and how our galaxy was formed."
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever ( Bart De Wever ) posted on social media that Halsen is the 11th Belgian to receive a Nobel Prize. De Wever described this award as "an impressive recognition of his lifelong dedication to illuminating the great mysteries of the universe through its smallest components."
A representative from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The University of Wisconsin-Madison also did not immediately comment when contacted by The Associated Press.
The bonus is approximately $1.2 million.
Ellen Muns, Secretary General of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences ( Ellen Moons ), announced this award on Tuesday in Stockholm. She is the first woman to lead this prestigious academy and present this award.
This year's prize money is 12 million Swedish kronor (approximately 1.2 million US dollars), and the amount is the same whether it is awarded to an individual, a small team of winners, or an organization.
Last year, three scientists were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their research on the peculiar phenomenon of quantum tunneling in subatomic particles; this research has enabled MRI devices to achieve ultra-high sensitivity measurements and laid the foundation for better smartphones and faster computers.
The announcement of this year's Nobel Prizes began on Monday. The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to three scientists whose work has led to the development of a tool that uses light to help reveal how the brain functions.
This week, the awards will continue with the announcement of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry on Wednesday, followed by the Nobel Prize in Literature on Thursday. After the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded on Friday, the Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced next Monday.
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Dazhiao ( Dazio ) reports from Berlin, while Ramakrishnan ( Ramakrishnan ) reports from New York. Alexa St. John ( Alexa St . John ) provided additional reporting from Detroit.
