Astrophysics

JILA astrophysicists investigate a broad range of topics including the evolution of stars, the formation of planets, the dynamics of black holes, and even the fundamental properties that give rise to the Universe itself.
 
JILA’s astrophysics research is aided by data gathered by ground- and space-based instruments. Our researchers use this astronomical data to test and refine theoretical simulations of processes that occur in our solar system and throughout the Universe.

Researchers in Astrophysics

Photograph of Mitchell C. Begelman Mitchel C. Begelman
Focus: Astrophysical Gas Dynamics, Magnetohydrodynamics, Radiative Transfer Theory, Astrophysical Phenomena Role: Theorist
Photograph of Andrew Hamilton Andrew Hamilton
Focus: Black Holes, Galaxies, Cosmology Role: Theorist
Photograph of Ann-Marie Madigan Ann-Marie Madigan
Focus: Stellar and gas dynamics near massive black holes, Solar systems and exoplanets Role: Theorist
Photograph of Juri Toomre Juri Toomre
Focus: Structure & Evolution of Stars Role: Theorist
Photograph of Jason Dexter. Jason Dexter
Focus: Black hole accretion, radiative transfer, interferometry Role: Theorist

Recent Highlights in Astrophysics

Astronomers have long sought to understand the early universe, and thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), a critical piece of the puzzle has emerged. The telescope's infrared detecting “eyes” have spotted an array of small, red dots, identified as some of the earliest galaxies formed in the universe. 

This surprising discovery…

In a new paper in The Astrophysical Journal, JILA Fellow Jason Dexter, graduate student Kirk Long, and other collaborators compared two main theoretical models for emission data for a specific quasar, 3C 273. Using these theoretical models, astrophysicists like…

For a new study, a team of physicists recruited roughly 1,000 undergraduate students at CU Boulder to help answer one of the most enduring questions about the sun: How does the star’s outermost atmosphere, or “corona,” get so hot?

The research represents a nearly-unprecedented feat of data analysis: From 2020 to 2022, the small army of…