This year’s Nobel Prize in Physics is being awarded to Belgian scientist Francis Halzen for his decisive contribution to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin, the body awarding the prize announced on Tuesday.
Nobel Prize in Physics laureates are selected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and receive a total cash prize of 12 million Swedish kronor, equivalent to 1.07 million euros. If there is more than one winner, the prize is shared.
Important distinction
The Nobel Prizes were established under the will of Swedish inventor and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel, whose fortune was created partly through the invention of dynamite. The prizes were first awarded in 1901 and recognise achievements in the sciences, literature and peace, while the economics prize was added later by Sweden’s central bank.
Physics held a prominent place in Nobel’s will and the prize remains one of the most important distinctions in the field. Over the decades, it has recognised discoveries that have radically changed humanity’s understanding of the universe.
Previous laureates include some of the most distinguished figures in science, such as Albert Einstein, Marie and Pierre Curie, Max Planck and Niels Bohr, whose work helped lay the foundations of modern physics.
Quantum physics
Last year’s Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to US-based scientists John Clarke, Michel Devoret and John Martinis for experiments that demonstrated the principles of quantum physics in practice. Their research is considered to contribute to the advancement of the next generation of computers and other digital technologies.
The prize was the second of this year’s Nobel Prizes to be announced, following Monday’s announcement of the Nobel Prize in Medicine, while the Nobel Prize in Chemistry follows on Wednesday.
The Nobel medals will be presented to the laureates by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden at a ceremony in Stockholm on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. The awards are followed by an official dinner at Stockholm City Hall.
The Nobel Peace Prize, the only Nobel Prize not awarded in Sweden, is presented separately in Oslo.
Source: CNA
