Astrophysics and Cosmology
Fourteen full-time faculty members are joined by staff, postdocs, and students in research on astrophysics and cosmology. Major areas of research include:
- theories of the very early universe (Khoury, Lee, Trodden);
- approaches to cosmic acceleration, including modified gravity (Jain, Khoury, Madhavacheril, Sheth, Trodden);
- the properties of dark matter and dark energy, and their influence on the formation of galaxies (Bernstein, Devlin, Jain, Madhavacheril, Sako, Sanderson, Sheth);
- the nonlinear growth of structure in the Universe (Bernstein, Jain, Lee, Madhavacheril, Sheth);
- the evolution of galaxies through the epoch of reionization and into the recent era (Aguirre, Bernardi, Lidz);
- millimeter and sub-millimeter observations of galaxy clusters, and of star and galaxy formation (Aguirre, Devlin, Madhavacheril);
- observations of transient phenomena in the Universe (Sako);
- detection of planets and planet-forming systems around nearby stars (Blake, Devlin, Jain); and
- observations of the Solar System beyond Neptune (Bernstein, Blake, Sako).
We address these questions from many angles:
- developing new instrumentation in the optical, millimeter, and sub-millimeter regimes;
- observations from the radio through x-ray;
- analysis of large survey datasets;
- computation and simulation;
- and theory.
There is close collaboration between the astrophysics group and Penn researchers conducting laboratory and astrophysical studies of the nature of dark matter (Klein, Sanderson) and theoretical studies of gravitational and dark-sector physics (Khoury, Lee, Trodden). Many members of the department apply techniques from data science and machine learning to astronomical datasets (Bernardi, Jain, Madhavacheril, Sako, Sanderson).
![" "](/sites/default/files/2020-08/galaxy.jpg)
Related Faculty
![James Aguirre](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/09/Aguirre_new3.jpg?itok=n6ACzTTI)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Mariangela Bernardi](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/08/MariangelaBernardi-web.jpg?itok=GmoQeD2F)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Gary Bernstein head shot](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2019/09/head_0.jpg?itok=LgxWZ2Sy)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Cullen Blake](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/08/blake-new.jpg?itok=ZCpbkDKO)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Mark Devlin](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2022/08/Devlin.jpg?itok=Ylk-wOab)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Bhuvnesh Jain](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/08/Bhuv%20Jain%20new.jpg?itok=I15IfgDZ)
Walter H. and Leonore C. Annenberg Professor in the Natural Sciences
Co-Director of the Penn Center for Particle Cosmology, Co-Director of the Penn Data Driven Discovery Initiative
bjain@physics.upenn.edu(215) 573-5330
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Justin Khoury](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/08/khoury_new.jpg?itok=ZCgJlc2V)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
- Nuclear and Particle Physics
![An image of Hayden Lee](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2024/08/hayden%20lee.jpg?itok=C8LBzlry)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Adam Lidz](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/a_lidz.jpg?itok=8a10x5lr)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Mathew Madhavacheril](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2022/08/MSM.jpg?itok=blJH6X7d)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Masao Sako](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/09/sako-new.jpg?itok=BQcYIcT3)
Arifa Hasan Ahmad and Nada Al Shoaibi Presidential Professor of Physics and Astronomy
masao@sas.upenn.edu
215/898-8151
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Robyn Sanderson](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/09/Sanderson%2C%20Robyn2_0.jpg?itok=Jl7koTIR)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Ravi K. Sheth](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2020/09/Sheth-new.png?itok=dclVOsCR)
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
![Mark Trodden](/sites/default/files/styles/profile_list/public/profile/2021/02/trodden.jpg?itok=rZIScGPh)
Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics
Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Co-Director of the Penn Center for Particle Cosmology
trodden@physics.upenn.edu215-898-7938
- Astrophysics and Cosmology
- Nuclear and Particle Physics
News
NASA’s Roman Space Telescope will investigate the history of galaxies
Robyn Sanderson and collaborators are unearthing the history of the universe's formation by looking for clues that reveal its 'galatic fossil record.'
Read MoreDark Energy Survey uncovers clues to universe’s complexity
In 1998, astronomers discovered that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, thanks to a mysterious force called dark energy tha
Read MoreElon Musk Public Lecture: "Cosmic Inflation: My journey to the edge of science"
Professor Andreas Albrecht (University of California, Davis): In 1982, while a grad student at Penn, my advisor and I wrote a paper that has since become very famous.
Read MorePenn cosmology team ready to field the largest ever cosmic microwave background camera
A new study details the inner workings of the Large Aperture Telescope Receiver, the cryogenic camera that will be installed at the Simons Observatory at 17,000 feet in northern Chile.
Read MoreProf. Vijay Balasubramanian featured in episode of Netflix series Explained
Vijay Balasubramanian, Cathy and Marc Lasry Professor, was featured in a recent episode of the Netflix seri
Read More
Events
Astrophysics Seminar: "TBA"
Andrej Prsa (Villanova University)
Astrophysics Seminar: "TBA"
Lieke van Son (Flatiron Institute)
![" "](/sites/default/files/2020-08/DESimage-from-Sako-2.jpg)