Francis Halzen, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, has been named the 2026 Nobel laureate in physics, according to UW–Madison News. Phys.org reports that Halzen expressed pride in his pioneering role in artificial intelligence alongside the award.
The prize recognizes his work hunting "ghost particles" in Antarctica, BusinessWorld Online reports. Neutrinos are commonly described that way because they rarely interact with matter, which makes them difficult to detect.
The award was announced by the Nobel Prize organization, which published its 2026 physics press release on NobelPrize.org. Halzen's affiliation with UW–Madison was confirmed by the university's news service.
Ahead of the announcement, ABS-CBN reported that particle physics and astrophysics, along with an "invisibility cloak" topic, were among the areas tipped for the physics prize.
Halzen's recognition places him among the researchers honored for work in astroparticle physics, a field that sits between the study of fundamental particles and the study of cosmic sources. The Nobel Prize in Physics is awarded annually, and the 2026 announcement follows the pattern of recent years in which the committee's choice was revealed in early October.
Details of the citation, the full scope of the research honored, and any further statements from Halzen or the Nobel committee are expected to follow.
