Astrophysics

JWST has the powerful new capability to both measure the structural and stellar population properties of distant galaxies through deep near-infrared imaging and probe emission lines and continuum spectroscopically. The combination of these probes...

Abstract: I will give an overview of recent activity based on the idea that we can test quantum properties of the gravitational field in experiments. I will emphasize the need to state precisely what hypotheses are being tested by showing some...

Gas giant planets’ deep internal structures and basic properties remain uncertain, even in our own solar system. Fortunately, the interactions of planets with their environments offer complementary insight to direct observations. I will describe how...

I present the evolution of the relationship between galaxy stellar mass and their host dark matter halo mass since the Universe was only about a billion years old (z ~ 5) until today. The galaxy-halo mass relationship was constrained through the...

Supermassive black holes' (SMBHs) feeding and feedback cycles play a vital role in galaxy formation and evolution. While current state-of-the-art numerical simulations can successfully reproduce the multiphase gas at the galaxy-scale, it is not well...

For roughly three decades, astronomers anticipated that the launch of JWST would portend new discoveries and the potential upending of long-held notions for early galaxy formation. JWST did not disappoint! Within weeks of the start of science...

Weak gravitational lensing provides an immense opportunity to test the standard cosmological model and to probe astrophysics. Over the last decade, it has matured as a high-precision tool with on-going surveys like the Dark Energy Survey, which has...

Computer vision and machine learning tools offer an exciting new way to automate analyzing and categorizing information from complex computer simulations. In my talk, I will discuss our current efforts in designing new computer vision tools for the...

While the vast majority of the light from our galaxy comes from the Galactic disk, the vast majority of the mass of the Milky Way (MW) is in its dark matter halo. Because we cannot directly observe the MW's dark matter halo, we must use luminous...

The launch of James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has already proven to be a defining moment for this generation of astronomers. Like its revolutionary predecessor Hubble Space Telescope, JWST has been artfully used by astronomers worldwide to build a...