Galaxy Formation, Intergalactic Medium, Active Galactic Nuclei, Galaxy-Black Hole Coevolution, Galaxy Clusters, Early Universe, Dark Matter
Image Credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/MSSL/R.Soria et al, Optical: AURA/Gemini OBs
The most obvious large structures in the Universe are the galaxies, which over the span of cosmic time have been the nexus for both the evolution of stars and large-scale structure in the Universe. CIERA researchers are engaged in understanding both the evolution of the galaxies and the environments they are embedded in, as well as the stellar populations they are comprised of and the supermassive black holes they host.
Research at CIERA
CIERA researchers work on understanding the origins of structure in the Universe. Professor Faucher-Giguère’s group develops sophisticated cosmological hydrodynamic simulations of galaxy formation. The simulations are used to answer a wide variety of science questions, including how star formation is regulated in galaxies, how galaxies interact with the circum-galactic medium and the intergalactic medium, and how galaxies and their black holes co-evolve.
Opportunities
Deadline: 11:59pm, March 20, 2023
REACH (Research Experiences in Astronomy at CIERA for High School Students) is a highly interactive, 3-week program (with an optional 3-week extension) that provides high school students experience with astronomy research in an atmosphere of team-style learning, hands-on training, and mentorship from professional scientists. Students enrolled in the program engage in astronomy research projects with CIERA astronomers.
News
Gallery
Northwestern astrophysicist uses Webb Telescope as ‘time machine’ to trace origins of the universe
Northwestern astrophysicist uses Webb Telescope as ‘time machine’ to trace origins of the universe
The images of space produced by the James Webb Telescope have captured the attention of the world, giving academic experts and everyday stargazers the clearest picture of the universe ever seen. “Even astronomers, like when we look at this, we had the same reaction as everyone else,” said Allison Strom, a Northwestern University professor of physics and
- Science
X-shaped Radio Galaxy Morphology: 3-dimensional movie of density
X-shaped Radio Galaxy Morphology: 3-dimensional movie of density
When astronomers use radio telescopes to gaze into the night sky, they typically see elliptical-shaped galaxies, with twin jets blasting from either side of their central supermassive black hole. But every once in a while — less than 10% of the time — astronomers might spot something special and rare: An X-shaped radio galaxy, with
Aretaios Lalakos
X-shaped radio galaxies might form more simply than expected
X-shaped radio galaxies might form more simply than expected
A still image taken from the 3D simulation of the natural development of an X-shaped jet. The gas (bright red) falls into the black hole, which launches a pair of relativistic jets (light blue). The jets propagate vertically and shock the ambient gas (dark red). The older cavities (dark blue) buoyantly rise at an angle
Aretaios Lalakos
STARFORGE Simulation: the “Anvil of Creation”
STARFORGE Simulation: the “Anvil of Creation”
Snapshot from the first full STARFORGE simulation. Nicknamed the “Anvil of Creation,” a giant molecular cloud with individual star formation and comprehensive feedback, including protostellar jets, radiation, stellar winds and core-collapse supernovae. Learn more.
Northwestern University/UT Austin
Models and Simulations Run on the Cluster and in the Family
Models and Simulations Run on the Cluster and in the Family
From Purdue University’s Long Tales of Science podcast, hear CIERA’s Dr. Sarah Wellons, an astrophysicist who uses high performance computing resources to run massive simulations of galaxy formation, and her mother, Dr. Helen Wellons, a retired chemical engineer who used parallel computing to deploy computational modeling applications to optimize real-time refinery operations at ExxonMobil.
- Science
Shane Larson’s Virtual Public Lecture, “A Storm of Stars: A Living History of the Milky Way”
Shane Larson’s Virtual Public Lecture, “A Storm of Stars: A Living History of the Milky Way”
On October 28, 2020 CIERA’s Shane Larson presented this public lecture titled A Storm of Stars: A Living History of the Milky Way in a virtual Zoom webinar format to an audience of nearly 450 viewers. Larson discussed how we came to understand the Milky Way, our home galaxy, and how our ideas about the
- Event
People
Core Faculty
Kari Frank
Director of Operations of CIERA, Research Assistant Professor
Associate Faculty
Postdocs
