People

Mark Hertzberg

Office: Room 304A, 574 Boston Ave.
Email: mark.hertzberg (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My primary research is in physics at the interface between theoretical cosmology and particle physics, including astrophysics and aspects of quantum field theory. By studying the extreme conditions of the very early universe, as well as the properties of the late universe's dark constituents, and analyzing the results of various ground based experiments, we can gain insights into the fundamental laws of nature. This acts as the driving force behind much of my research, although I sometimes investigate other interesting subjects.

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Ken Olum

Office: Room 304B, 574 Boston Ave.
Phone: 617-627-2753
Email: kdo (at cosmos.phy.tufts.edu)

Research Interests

I work primarily on data analysis for the NANOGrav collaboration, which observes gravitational waves through precision timing of pulsars.  I also study cosmic strings, especially their gravitational interactions.  I have worked on energy conditions in general relativity and the possibility of exotic phenomena, such as superluminal travel, and I have studied the philosophy of anthropic reasoning and its application to eternal inflation.

Soubhik Kumar

Office: Room 304D, 574 Boston Ave.
Email: soubhik.kumar (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

I work at the intersection of theoretical particle physics and early Universe cosmology. The primary questions that drive my research are the microphysics of cosmic inflation and the nature of dark matter, as well as any associated dark sector. Some of the specific topics I have recently worked on include novel observational signatures of cosmic inflation, primordial non-Gaussianity and its connection to particle theory, axion cosmology, and gravitational waves.

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Larry Ford (emeritus)

Office: 304D, 574 Boston Ave
Phone: 617-627-5356 
Email: ford (at cosmos.phy.tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My research involves both general relativity and quantum theory. At the present I am involved in several projects concerned with quantum fluctuations and gravitation. These include studies of the quantum fluctuations of the spacetime lightcone, fluctuations of quantum stress tensors, various aspects of the Casimir and Aharonov-Bohm effects, and negative energy densities in quantum field theory.

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Alex Vilenkin (emeritus)

Office: Room 304C, 574 Boston Avenue 
Phone: 617-627-3147 
Email: vilenkin (at cosmos.phy.tufts.edu)

Research Interests

Cosmic inflation, dark energy, cosmic strings and monopoles, quantum cosmology, high-energy cosmic rays, the multiverse, and anthropic selection.

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Daniel Jiménez Aguilar

Email: Daniel.Jimenez_Aguilar (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My research interests lie in the fields of theoretical cosmology and general relativity. In particular, I am intrigued by cosmic inflation, bouncing cosmology, topological defects, black holes, modified gravity and dark energy, and also by the possibility of describing the early and late expansion epochs of the universe in a unified picture. Currently, my investigations focus on the dynamics of cosmic strings and domain walls, as well as on the problem of initial conditions for inflation.

Oleksandr Stashko

My research focuses on the properties of compact objects in General Relativity and alternative theories of gravity. This includes classical and quantum radiation from black holes, quasinormal modes, stability analysis, spectral properties, and observational signatures in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Alexander Cassem

Email: Alexander.Cassem (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My research interests lie within cosmology and fundamental theoretical physics. Specifically, I work on using causality, unitarity, and physical symmetries to constrain observables in gravitational effective field theories, and I work on developing an S-matrix for inflation. I also have interests in large scale structure, quantum field theory, and string theory.

Subham Chakraborty

Email: Subham.Chakraborty (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My current research interest focuses on Early Universe Cosmology and Inflation. Previously I worked on modified theories of Gravity including f(R) Gravity and Torsion. I am currently exploring scalar induced Gravitational Waves and how they are sourced by large curvature perturbations at small length scales.

Nathan Craig

Email: Nathan.Craig (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My current research is on finding ways to improve the data analysis techniques for NANOGrav's Pulsar Timing Array. Specifically, I have been looking at ways to approximate the covariance matrix without assuming a periodic signal or sacrificing runtime.

Georgios Fanaras

Email: Georgios.Fanaras (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My research interests lie in the field of quantum cosmology with a primary focus on the wavefunction of the universe and the boundary conditions for the gravitational path integral. The main motivation is to advance our understanding of quantum gravity through applications to the universe--the only available laboratory for such theories.

Amanda Karis

Email: Amanda.Malnati (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

I am a member of NANOGrav and the International Pulsar Timing Array,
doing data analysis and working on methods for computing Bayes
factors

Meg Kralj

Email: Megan.Kralj (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My work spans three collaborations. With NANOGrav, I focus on pulsar
timing array data analysis using Bayesian model comparison techniques,
including steppingstone sampling and model-switch thermodynamic
integration. With EXCLAIM and Jefferson Lab, I work on developing
custom MCMC samplers and Bayesian neural networks for deeply virtual
QFT process data fitting. I also work with particle cosmology
researchers at the Institut d'Astrophysique de Paris on SARAH-based
SUSY model building, particularly in the context of SUSY SU(4) gauge
structures and post-inflation SUSY symmetry breaking chains.
 

Aidan Morehouse

Email: Aidan.Morehouse (at tufts.edu)

Alize Sucsuzer

Email: Alize.Sucsuzer (at tufts.edu)

Research Interests

My research interests align with the intersection of cosmology and particle physics. In particular, I am interested in dark matter particles, dark sector physics, and early universe cosmology.