The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics to Francis Halzen for his research into neutrinos, tiny subatomic particles often nicknamed “ghost particles” because they are nearly massless and can pass through solid matter, including entire planets, without being stopped.
Neutrinos are produced by some of the most energetic phenomena in the universe, from nuclear reactions inside the sun to distant exploding stars and black holes. Because they rarely interact with other matter, they travel across space largely undisturbed, carrying with them valuable clues about cosmic events that would otherwise be impossible to observe using light alone. Detecting these fleeting particles requires enormous, highly sensitive instruments, often built deep underground or buried in polar ice, where scientists wait for the rare moment a neutrino collides with another particle and leaves a detectable trace.
Halzen’s contributions have helped transform neutrino research into one of the most promising tools in modern astrophysics, opening a new window for studying the cosmos beyond traditional telescopes that rely on light. His work is seen as part of a growing field known as multi-messenger astronomy, which combines different types of cosmic signals to build a fuller picture of the universe.
For more details on this year’s Nobel Prize in Physics, read the full story at El Diario de Hoy.
Source: Francis Halzen gana el Nobel de Física 2026 por estudiar los neutrinos (El Diario de Hoy).
Image: µµ, BY-SA 2.0 (via Openverse).