Astronomy Group
Department of Physics and Astronomy
Welcome
Our astronomy group explores the Universe's most exciting frontiers, from dark energy and dark matter to the evolution of galaxies, stars, black holes, and planetary systems. Leveraging leadership roles in world-class astronomical surveys and research facilities, we push the boundaries of modern astrophysics. We are equally committed to mentoring a diverse community of future scientists and preserving Utah's unparalleled dark skies.
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Cosmology and the large-scale structure of the Universe
We study how galaxies are distributed across the Universe, forming clumps and clusters connected by thin filaments in a vast cosmic web. Two mysterious components dominate this structure: dark matter, which helps form and bind these clumps, and dark energy, which is driving their accelerated expansion apart. A central goal is to characterize the nature and behavior of both dark matter and dark energy, and to understand how they shape the evolution of the Universe on the largest scales. [Brownstein, Dawson, Mao, Wik, Zheng] -
Dark matter
Dark matter is known only from its gravitational influence on visible matter, shaping galaxy formation and clustering. We seek to uncover its fundamental nature through multiple approaches, such as studying its large-scale effects and its impact on galaxies. While definitive detection remains elusive, ongoing efforts continue to push the boundaries of our understanding. [Brownstein, Mao, Seth, Wik] -
Galaxy evolution, dynamics, and the role of stars and gas
Galaxies, such as our own Milky Way, can contain anywhere from hundreds to hundreds of billions of stars, along with gas, dust, black holes, and dark matter. We investigate how galaxies form, assemble, and interact over cosmic time, their connection with the intergalactic medium, and the interplay between massive stars and the gas in their host galaxies. We employ both theoretical and observational approaches, including simulations and spectroscopy and imaging across the electromagnetic spectrum from both ground- and space-based observatories. These studies reveal how galaxies evolve, how stars form, and how the chemical elements are built up over time. [Brownstein, Laskar, Mao, Seth, Telford, Zasowski, Zheng] -
Galaxy nuclei and massive black holes
Most galaxies harbor supermassive black holes with masses millions to billions of times that of the Sun, confined to regions smaller than our solar system. We explore how these extreme objects grow, how they influence their surroundings, and how they regulate the growth of their host galaxies. [Bromley, Laskar, Mao, Seth, Wik] -
Transient phenomena and the extreme Universe
Some of the most energetic events in the Universe occur during brief, powerful transients such as gamma-ray bursts and the electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational wave sources. By combining observations across the electromagnetic spectrum with theoretical modeling and advanced statistical and computational techniques, we study relativistic explosions and other extreme phenomena. These events probe the final stages of stellar evolution, provide laboratories for fundamental physics such as particle acceleration and jet formation, and serve as precise tools for exploring conditions in the early Universe. [Laskar] -
Stars in the Milky Way and the origins of elements
Stellar spectroscopy – breaking up starlight into its constituent colors – reveals the chemical composition, ages, and motions of stars. By mapping these properties across the Milky Way, we reconstruct how our galaxy formed and how the elements essential for life, such as carbon and oxygen, were created and distributed. At the heaviest end of the periodic table, observations of merging neutron stars in distant galaxies shed light on the origin of elements heavier than iron, completing our picture of chemical enrichment across cosmic time. [Laskar, Seth, Telford, Zasowski] -
Planets and planetary systems
Within galaxies, dust and gas around young stars can coalesce to form planets. Our view has expanded from the planets in our solar system to thousands orbiting other stars. We are working to understand the mechanisms at play in the formation of planets, in particular of rocky planets like our own Earth. Is this process universal, and do we have company in the Universe? [Bromley]
News
Jul 9, 2025
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@theU
Astronomers celebrate images decades in the making
Our growing group of astronomy and astrophysics faculty members pursue research across a wide range of the field’s most exciting frontiers. We…
Jun 5, 2025
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@theU
Humans of the U: Gail Zasowski
Our growing group of astronomy and astrophysics faculty members pursue research across a wide range of the field’s most exciting frontiers. We…
Mar 20, 2025
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@theU
DESI results strengthen hints that dark energy may evolve
Our growing group of astronomy and astrophysics faculty members pursue research across a wide range of the field’s most exciting frontiers. We…
Events
Astro Coffee (Journal Club)
Wednesdays - Time: 2:00-3:00pm
We discuss recent astronomy papers; while this discussion tends to be at the level of astronomy grad students, undergrad and first-year grad students are still very welcome. We use Benty Fields for the Astro Coffee discussions.
Astro Lunch
Tuesdays - Time: 12:00-1:00pm
When the weather is warm, people usually leave from the 3rd floor of LSSB for the tables in the courtyard to have lunch together (people bring their own lunch).
HEAP Seminar
Thursdays - Times: Click Here
U of Utah Physics & Astronomy Colloquia and Seminars 2026-27