Remembering Karl Giboni
from Xenon:
We are profoundly saddened by this loss. Karl was a highly esteemed colleague and served as the technical coordinator of the XENON programme until the start of XENON1T. His innovative ideas and exceptional solutions were instrumental in advancing our detector technology to where it stands today. Many of us had the privilege of working alongside him, celebrating successes, and admiring his outstanding experimental expertise.
Christian Weinheimer and Masaki Yamashita on behalf of the XENON family
from PandaX:
Karl made extraordinary contributions to the PandaX program, and his legacy will be remembered forever. With foresight and strategic vision, Karl guided all stages of the PandaX experiments from PandaX-1 to PandaX-4T. Karl’s expertise and experience in detector technology and cryogenics shine through in every aspect of the PandaX detector design. Karl’s passing is a big loss not only to PandaX but to the LXe DM community at large. His contribution will not be forgotten.
Jianglai Liu and Ning Zhou on behalf of the PandaX family
Messages from Former Students, Friends and Colleagues
From the very beginning, as a graduate student in his group, Karl’s expertise and passion for physics were evident. His vision for experimental design was crucial in overcoming technical challenges and ensuring the project’s success. His relentless pursuit of improving liquid xenon technology set new benchmarks for sensitivity in dark matter detection and drove advancements that continue to shape the field today. Karl was more than just a brilliant scientist; he was a mentor, an inspiration, and a driving force in the pursuit of developing the best detectors to understand the universe’s deepest mysteries.
Kaixuan Ni
Columbia Student
I have fond memories of Karl both at Nevis and LNGS. It was very difficult news for me. In my thesis acknowledgement I wrote that “I also thank Karl Giboni who made me want to be a detector designer someday with his creative ideas.”
Kyungeun Lim
Columbia Student
He was a genius in the lab and one of the most creative scientists I have met. I had the privilege of spending one summer with him at Schlumberger and I learnt so much from him. He was funny with a sense of humor, and was always making light of things and had an ever-ready joke in hand! Both you and Karl have been tremendous mentors to me and it has been a privilege to spend all the time in your lab as well in your house, where you have always welcomed us. Karl had the innate ability to make jokes and there was never a dull moment with him.
Reshmi Mukherjee
Columbia Student
Karl was a wonderful researcher and teacher and we learned many things from him during our stay at Columbia University. He will be fondly remembered.
Om Shanti! Om Shanti! Om Santih!
Bhartndu Singh
Columbia Postdoc
As I tried to express in my thesis acknowledgements, Karl taught me so much that can’t be learned in textbooks, and truly helped me become a scientist. I will forever cherish the memories of my time spent with him in the early XENON times.
Guillaume Plante
Columbia Student
Karl was a wonderful person, always full of life and so funny and really smart. A true urbane European scientist. Patty remembers so well the Christmas we shared. So sad to lose someone with so much life ahead of him.
Chuck Hailey
Columbia University
The world has lost a really remarkable experimentalist! I still remember very well how often I sent him direct email an “did you ever put this or that material in LXe”. We will all miss him!
Marc Schumann
Rice University Postdoc
I knew him as a great scientist and a very jovial and cheerful man. He will always be remembered.
Peter Shagin
Rice University
Although I did not know Karl very well, the few times I met him I was very much impressed with him: both from a work and social perspective.
Auke Colijn
Nikhef
Ho conosciuto Karl e ne ho sempre avuto grande considerazione sia come fisico che come persona. Karl rimarrà anche una pietra miliare di XENON.
Gabriella Sartorelli
Bologna University
Una persona straordinaria, mi tornano in mente le sue battute e la sua risata contagiosa, nonché la sua genialità come fisico.
Francesco Arneodo
LNGS
When I joined XENON and first got to know Karl, I immediately recognized his vast knowledge, and ingenuity and love in building things. He is a true icon and was clearly instrumental in pushing our field, in particular in the early stages of xenon detectors. It sounds like he must have enjoyed his retirement in Thailand, with his partner and his dogs.
Patrick Decowski
Nikhef
He was not only a great physicist but also a delightful human being that I had the fortune to have among my few friends.
Ze Matias Lopez
University of Coimbra
I had the pleasure to share a beer with him last May during XeSat and hear about old XENON stories, and advice on how to maintain our Japanese PTRS.
Michael Murra
Columbia University
I went to XeSAT2024 to see Karl, but sadly, it’s the last chance to talk to him. Although I didn’t work with Karl directly since I was not one of PandaX, I have been deeply impacted by his pioneering work in developing the noble liquid detector technology. I still recall his smiling face while smoking outside the lab or enjoying Baijiu at our dinners. May he rest in peace!
Fei Gao
Shinua University
Karl was a remarkable person, and his memory will live on in the hearts of those who knew him.
Manfred Lindner
Max Planck Institute
I was very grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Karl. Always a fascinating and entertaining work interaction. I am sorry that we are now denied his great company.
Rick Gaitskell
Brown University
Porto la mia memoria indietro a trovare quel sorriso di Karl che ricordo con vero affetto.
Nicola Paoli
CAEN Technologies
Mi dispiace tantissimo e non trovo le parole per esprimere il dolore che sento. Questi rapporti strettissimi di amore e di collaborazione scientifica sono complessi ma profondissimi.
Daniela Bortoletto
University of Oxford
