India, Oct. 6 -- Francis Halzen won the Nobel Prize in Physics on Tuesday, October 6, for his contributions to the IceCube Neutrino Observatory and his discovery of high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin.

"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," said Mark Pearce, chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, in a news release.

Halzen spoke to the committee by phone from Italy after the announcement. "It was a great surprise and I obviously didn't expect it," he said, adding that although it had been predicted before that he would win the prize, the announcement still ma...