IceCards

Posted on by Staff

The IceCube Collaboration is made up of over 300 people at 53 institutions in 12 countries (as of August, 2021). We asked our collaborators to send us postcards from wherever they are in the world. The messages include favorite memories, fun stories, lessons learned, and more recollections from our long history as a collaboration.

Cover of postcard from Aya Ishihara (Chiba University, Japan)
Dear IceCube, When I first joined the IceCube Collaboration as an UW Madison postdoc, it was just the time the fi[r]st string #21 was deployed! Since then it took 6yrs to complete and another 10 years have passed since the completion. Wow! IceCube has been a great experiment and provided so many opportunities for young researchers from the preparation phase. It is amazing that IceCube has been producing new results continuously for such a long time! Aya Ishihara, ICEHAP, Chiba
Cover of postcard from Yosuke Ashida (Chiba University, Japan)
DEAR IceCube, Congratulations 10yrs, IceCube!! I am happy to join and start work for this nice collab.! Yosuke Ashida (WIPAC) 1yr so far
Cover of postcard from Carlos Argüelles (Harvard University, USA)
Too many great stories to fit in this card on my ~10 years in IceCube. Talking about neutrinos at the Madison Terrace; drinking beer with friends. Carlos Argüelles Assistant Professor Harvard University
Cover of postcard from Francis Halzen (UW–Madison, USA)
(other side: view from my office, if I remember well...) favorite memory: mail from Gary Hill August 25, 1998. ...experience your own moment of truth, so check them out /d13/ghill/data Atmospheric neutrinos! We knew at that moment that we would build IceCube. Francis Halzen, UW–Madison
Cover of postcard from Yasutsugu Morii (Chiba University, Japan)
Hello IceCube Congratulations on the 10th anniversary for IceCube! I had joined this project just one year ago. I'm engaged in the testing of Degg for IceCube Upgrade. I'm excited to think these Degg works under Antarctic ice! Thank you. Yasutsugu Morii, graduate student. Chiba University, Japan
Cover of postcard from Jakob Beise (Uppsala University, Sweden)
This huge detector caught my interest ever since I got to know it in a astroparticle physics course. I joined IceCube for my bachelor's and worked on ARIANNA for my master's. Now it's back to IceCube for my PhD which I start soon in Uppsala. I'm exited for the years ahead – the great science we can do and meeting all of you sometime in person. I'm really happy to be part of such a great collaboration! Jakob Beise, prospective PhD student, Uppsala University, Sweden
Cover of postcard from Mike DuVernois (UW–Madison, USA)
Not a large-scale story, but IceCube (well ARA actually) got me to Madison for a small project back in 2010 and got me back to academia. Hard now to think of working on something different or living in a different town. IceCube is a batch of some awesome folks I enjoy working with and Madison is a great small town, whether divorced from the rest of Earth or not. Mike DuVernois, UW–Madison, 2010–Gen2
Cover of postcard from Maximilian Meier (Chiba University, Japan)
Dear IceCube, Happy 10 year Anniversary! I joined the collaboration 6 years ago as a PhD student long after detector completion and first discoveries. Since I could meet a lot of kind and sweet people by traveling to beautiful places hosting our collaboration meetings. The prospect to keep working on IceCube even made me move to the other side of the planet! Maximilian Meier (Postdoc @ Chiba U.)
Cover of postcard from Jim Madsen (UW–Madison, USA)
In addition to awesome science, IceCube provided tremendous travel. In August of 2013, I presented at the inaugural ICISE Rencontres du Vietnam in Quy Nhon. The optional tour I signed up for was also selected by Nobel prize winners David Gross & Sheldon Glashow. There were multiple amazing receptions including a visit to the presidential palace. Jim Madsen
Cover of postcard from Shigeru Yoshida (Chiba University, Japan)
- The 1st sketch to outline cosmogenic neutrino search by IceCube June 2006 Never thought this was just the BEGINNING to go through the looong road... [diagram] - It was probably around 2008 when Ty DeYong found found a bug in the hit-constructor to solve my problem. Got him a bottle of New Glarus beer in return. In 11 years later when we hosted a collaboration meeting at Chiba, Ty (and Darren) brought me a bottle of great Michigan whiskey. This is the best $$ investment I have ever made! Shigeru Yoshida, Prof., Chiba on IceCube since 2002.
Cover of postcard from Jeff Lazar (Harvard, USA)
Dear IceCubers, Greetings from the great state of Massachusetts! I hope this postcard finds you (reasonably) well, and that I may soon join you in the greater state of Wisconsin. Go Badgers, Jeff Lazar
Cover of postcard from Myoungchul Kim (Chiba University, Japan)
First time to join the IceCube (2015) Collaboration meeting and met so many people who are sharing the same goal. 🙂 Myoungchul Kim, grad. student. Chiba Univ.
Cover of postcard from Nobuhiro Shimizu (Chiba University, Japan)
I came to IceCube on November, 2020, meaning less than half a year IceCuber! I am always being inspired by people, physics, engineering, and cultures of this collaboration. Thanks for all the meetings here. Nobuhiro Shimizu from Chiba University
Cover of IceCard from Donglian Xu (Tsung-Dao Lee Institute, China)
IMO, the openness, vibrancy and spontaneity are the crown jewels of IceCube culture. Shared in this pic is a piece of such fond memory, which I still recall vividly. Ben used to ask "What's yet to be discovered in IceCube?" And tau neutrinos were one of the obvious answers. So we locked ourselves up and raced to discover them in one day... 🙂 With much love from Shanghai! Donglian Xu What's past is prologue. Kudos to IceCube! Kudos to all the souls questing after the truths of Nature.
Cover of postcard from Colton Hill (Chiba University, Japan)
Hello IceCube! Happy 10 years of wonderful data! I'm grateful for all of the opportunities I have had to meet people from all over the world these past 2 years. It was particularly fun to host everyone at the Japanese collaboration meeting in 2019, where I met many of you for the first time. I look forward to when I can see you all next time and an eventual trip to the South Pole with the D-Eggs and mDOMs! Sincerely, Colton Hill Research Fellow Chiba University
Cover of postcard from Madeleine O'Keefe (UW–Madison, USA)
June 1, 2021 I started working for IceCube exactly 2 years ago today! It has been an amazing ride so far. I've met so many awesome people and learned soo much. One of my favorite memories was going to Chiba, Japan, for the Fall 2019 collaboration meeting. Hopefully we can travel again soon!! - Madeleine O'Keefe IceCube Communications Manager WIPAC/UW–Madison
Greetings, IceCube allows me to work on many topics from dinner skits to search of Lorenz Violation [1]. We are so close to beat Einstein and find Quantum Gravity! Ciao, Teppei Katori Reader (associate professor) King's College London IceCube since 2014 [1] about Lorentz Violation. Astrophysical neutrinos propagate long distance straight, and any tiny interaction with vacuum may change flavor. This is the way to look for the smallest effect in space-time. [diagram]
Cover of postcard from Gwen De Wasseige (UCLouvain, France)
IceCube is the reason I started research & is what keeps me going. IceCubers are what make it so fun! I’m grateful for my first decade in IceCube and I am looking forward to the next one! Gwen De Wasseige MSCA Fellow - U. de Paris Asst Prof - UCLouvain
Cover of postcard from Ellen Bechtol (UW–Madison, USA)
People of all ages have been inspired by IceCube. Sharing IceCube’s story & science with the public is a pleasure and honor. Traveling to NYC for the World Science Festival will always stand out in my mind. There were so many people interested in STEM! But nothing tops watching my 2 year old try on South Pole gear for the first time. Ellen Bechtol, Outreach, WIPAC
Cover of postcard from Tom Gaisser (University of Delaware, USA)
Swarthmore College was the home of Bartol when I started in 1970, and I still live in town. We moved to UD in 1977. I want to acknowledge former IceCubers Len Shulman, Bartol engineer who managed freezing IceTop tanks, Bruce Koci and Alan Elcheikh for IceCube drilling and Per Olof Hulth for DeepCore and for his wise scientific advice to me, personally. Tom Gaisser Spokesperson 2007-2011 University of Delaware
Cover of postcard from Frank McNally (Mercer University, USA)
Greetings from Macon, home of Mercer University! I’ve been with IceCube for 10 years, & my favorite memory came in Stockholm, when a group of Germans & Americans traversed the entire city in search of a foosball table. Everybody won. (Except our opponents.) Frank McNally (Notable 2nd place: any time spent at the Terrace)
Cover of postcard from Jinkyong Lee and Carsten Rott (SKKU, Korea)
Glad to celebrate 10th IceCube anniversary! I would like to introduce an image of this postcard which is Cheomseongdae, a historical site in Korea and the oldest observatory in the East. Hopefully, the IceCube observatory research will be successful and will be remained as memorable as Cheomseongdae to the next generations in a few decades!! -July 2021 Jinkyong Lee, Administrative assistant at the SKKU IceCube group- In 2017 it was my turn to welcome many IceCubers for the ICRC conference to Korea, where I had started the IceCube effort in 2013. My role as a conference rapporteur left me little time, but with the help of my students (Thanks Jim, Minjin, Woosik) we organized a traditional dinner to celebrate IceCube results. It was an exciting time. Carsten Rott, an IceCuber since 2005
Cover of postcard from Jean DeMerit (UW–Madison, USA)
I 💗🧊 [I heart ice cube] Jean DeMerit Editor/UW–Madison Since 2012
Cover of postcard from Frank Schroeder (University of Delaware, USA)
My first interaction with the IceCube collaboration was the Copenhagen meeting six years ago. I have enjoyed the friendly atmosphere ever since, including my time at the South Pole. Frank Schroeder Gen2 Surface Array WG Bartol Research Institute
Cover of postcard from Minjin Jeong (SKKU, Korea)
In December 2019, Cristoph Tönnis and I were helping Anna Pollmann conduct an experiment at the South Pole, using a device from my group. At the South Pole, Anna and other IceCubers were facing challenges due to delays in cargo delivery and tight schedules. It was unclear if there would be enough time for her to run the experiment before her return flight, but we tried to prepare as much as we could. Then, a few days before Christmas, Anna emailed me and Cristoph about her successful experiment. That was one of the most exciting moments over the years! Minjin Jeong, Graduate Student, SKKU, Korea On IceCube since 2014
Cover of postcard from Carsten Rott (University of Utah, USA)
Hello from the University of Utah, newest institutional member to the IceCube Collaboration. It has been a privilege to work with such great collaborators and to be part of this fascinating project since the deployment of the first string! An amazing scientific journey, yet we are still at the beginning of this field. [diagram of IceCube detecting neutrinos] Carston Rott Professor Univ. of Utah
Cover of postcard from Ignacio Taboada (Georgia Tech, USA)
Happy 10th birthday IceCube! I’ve been part of IceCube for two decades. I started as a PhD student in AMANDA. My very first collaboration meeting was in Madison in Fall of 1998. Back then meetings were a single room with ~20 people. And real slides. It has always been good times for me! Best, Ignacio [IceCube spokesperson] On the postcard: Atlanta @ night.
Cover of postcard from Anna Franckowiak (Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany)
Dear IceCube, Thanks for providing true friends, great mentors, high-quality realtime data and the unique opportunity to travel to the South Pole! Looking forward to the discovery of new sources! Yours, Anna (Deputy Analysis Coordinator, and professor at Ruhr-University Bochum)
Cover of postcard from Sarah Mancina (WIPAC, USA)
I joined IceCube in 2015. While I haven’t been to Pole to make memories, I made lots of memories travelling to collaboration meetings. The story train in Stockholm, whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium, and sushi in Tokyo were all things I got to experience with my fellow collaborators! Sarah Mancina, PhD student, WIPAC
Cover of postcard from Jessie Micallef (Michigan State University, USA)
Working on IceCube for the past 5 years for me has meant working closely and talking regularly with many scientists from around the world! My favorite memories are when we get to meet in person, see each other’s faces, and talk about physics in the same room—whether that’s in a classroom or at a bar! Jessie Micallef, Graduate Student, Michigan State University
Cover of postcard from IVG Group (Italy)
What a journey it's been! We still remember vividly when back in 2005 Jeff Cherwinka came to visit our plant and outlined this crazy project called ICE CUBE. We were mesmerized by its potential and honored to partner with the University of Wisconsin to possibly help to discover with our hopes the origin of our univers. On this 10th anniversary, congratulation to the ICE CUBE Team and a big thank to every person who helped along the way! Sincerely The IVG TEAM from Italy
Cover of postcard from Mike Richman (Philadelphia, USA)
You can take a person out of IceCube, but you’ll never take IceCube out of a person. I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity to work with so many wonderful people in such a fantastic experiment. Congratulations on ten years, from Philadelphia! Mike Richman, former student + postdoc
Cover of postcard from Donghwa Kang (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany)
I’ve been participating in IceCube since 2018. It’s really exciting to work with great scientists on such a wonderful experiment. Besides work, I like to see the amazing pictures sent by Winterovers. Especially, my 10-year-old daughter loves the Rosie & Gibbs comics, so she’s proud of me working on IceCube! Donghwa Kang