Physics Program Presents

Nobel Prize in Physics 2026: Served on the Rocks — IceCube and the
Discovery of High-Energy Neutrinos
 

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded to Francis Halzen “for
decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the
discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin”. In this
talk, I give an accessible introduction to this milestone, aimed at
physics students and a general audience. I begin with the basic
properties of the neutrino and explain why high-energy neutrinos are
uniquely powerful messengers for studying the most extreme
accelerators in the universe. As an experimentalist, I will pay
special attention to how IceCube works: the detection of Cherenkov
radiation in deep Antarctic ice, the engineering feat of instrumenting
a cubic kilometer of the polar glacier, and the challenge of isolating
astrophysical signals from overwhelming atmospheric backgrounds. No
prior knowledge of particle physics or astrophysics is assumed.

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For more information, call 845-758-6822, or e-mail [email protected].

Time: 12:00 pm EDT/GMT-4

Location: Brody Lab - Hegeman 107

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