# Francis Halzen

_Belgian-American astrophysicist_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/francis-halzen
Last updated: 2026-10-31

> Francis Louis Halzen is a Belgian-American physicist who has worked in both theoretical and experimental particle physics, including high-energy astrophysics. Born in Belgium, he was educated at the Catholic University of Leuven and worked as a scientific associate at CERN before moving to the United States, where he has been a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison since 1972. Since 2001 he has been the principal investigator and co-spokesperson of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, the world's largest neutrino detector, based at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica. He received the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics "for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin."

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 23 March 1944 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20942818#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Tienen ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20942818#P19))
- **Citizenship:** United States; Belgium ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20942818#P27))
- **Occupation:** university teacher; physicist ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20942818#P106))
- **Education:** Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20942818#P69))
- **Awards:** Fellow of the American Physical Society; Balzan Prize; Cocconi Prize; Julius Wess Prize; APS Medal for Exceptional Achievement in Research; Nobel Prize in Physics; Bruno Pontecorvo Prize ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20942818#P166))

## Questions

**When was Francis Halzen born?**  
Francis Halzen was born on 23 March 1944 in Tienen.

**Where did Francis Halzen study?**  
Francis Halzen was educated at Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968).

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Francis Halzen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Halzen) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q20942818](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q20942818) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Francis Halzen (2025).jpg by infn.it (CC0)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Francis_Halzen_(2025).jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Francis Halzen, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Francis Halzen (2025).jpg — infn.it, CC0.

## Cite this page

"Francis Halzen". DigiNepal. Last updated 31 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/francis-halzen. Retrieved 14 November 2026.