Cosmologists at KIPAC study the structure of the Universe from nearby galaxies and their satellites to the distribution of galaxies on the largest scales across the Universe. By studying the structure of the Universe, we can learn how the Universe developed from its initial state and how the galaxies formed, grew, and merged with one another into the diverse population we can see today.

We are working to understand the physics that shapes the origins, evolution and fate of the Universe. We develop theoretical models that describe the first moments of the Universe, devise experiments to detect dark matter particles, analyze data from cosmic surveys to uncover the properties of dark matter and dark energy, and search for signatures of new physics using ancient light.

At KIPAC, we study the most extreme phenomena in our Universe, in particular black holes, neutron stars and compact objects. Black holes power some of the most luminous objects we see across the Universe, active galactic nuclei (AGN), quasars, and radio galaxies, while black holes and pulsars can act as powerful particle accelerators.

Researchers at KIPAC study the processes that govern the formation of stars and their planetary systems, and work on directly detecting and characterizing planets around other stars - exoplanets. Closer to home, KIPAC scientists are studying the physics of our closest star, the Sun.