{"text":[[{"start":9,"text":"Francis Halzen has won the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering how to detect neutrinos — ghostly subatomic particles from outer space — in work that has laid the foundation for a new type of astronomy."}],[{"start":22.2,"text":"The Royal Swedish Academy of Science awarded the SKr12mn ($1.2mn) prize on Tuesday to Halzen, 82, “for decisive contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and the discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin”."}],[{"start":38.96,"text":"Halzen, who was born and raised in Belgium, has been based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1971. He discovered how to detect the particles in a cubic kilometre of ultra-pure ice at the South Pole."}],[{"start":53.08,"text":"According to the academy, “the neutrino is the shyest particle in the universe, has no electric charge and almost no mass”. It usually passes unnoticed through matter. Trillions of neutrinos from outer space flow uneventfully through the human body every second."}],[{"start":69.12,"text":"Halzen had the idea in 1988 that neutrinos’ extremely rare collisions with ordinary matter could be detected from flashes of light when they hit atomic nuclei in clear glacial ice in Antarctica. Polar ice has many advantages, as it is pure, free of interference and geologically stable."}],[{"start":88.22,"text":"The idea gained support from other physicists and funding from the US National Science Foundation and international partners. Under Halzen’s guidance, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory was finished in 2011 and now helps astronomers map high-energy cosmic events across the universe."}],[{"start":105.88,"text":"Mark Pearce, chair of the Nobel physics committee, said: “Francis Halzen has led an international team of researchers and engineers who have provided us with a fantastic instrument. His tenacity and scientific vision has paved the way for a new kind of astronomy.”"}],[{"start":121.14,"text":"Louis Barson, science director at the Institute of Physics in London, said Halzen’s work had ‘‘opened a remarkable new window on the universe, allowing us to use some of nature’s most elusive particles to investigate phenomena that conventional telescopes cannot see”."}],[{"start":135.8,"text":"Halzen heard of his honour on Tuesday while visiting Italy. “It was a great surprise and great honour,” he told the Nobel press conference by phone. “I hope this will reflect on all the other scientists who have made decisive contributions.”"}],[{"start":150.92,"text":"He added: “I have to emphasise how lucky I was. When we started the project everyone realised it was a good idea but very few thought it would work.”"}],[{"start":160.94,"text":"The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences predicted that others would follow the path staked out by the IceCube observatory."}],[{"start":169,"text":"Several other neutrino telescopes are under development around the world. At the South Pole, researchers are planning IceCube-Gen2 with eight cubic kilometres of ice."}],[{"start":179.52,"text":"On Monday, Karl Deisseroth, Peter Hegemann and Georg Nagel won the Nobel in medicine for discoveries in optogenetics — using light to investigate the brain. The chemistry award will be announced on Wednesday, followed by literature on Thursday, peace on Friday and economics on Monday."}],[{"start":204.32,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1791646594_4432.mp3"}