Cosmology & Astrophyshics

Our Research

Our research group investigates some of the most profound questions in physics, spanning the earliest moments of the Universe to its large-scale structure today, as well as the fundamental nature of matter, spacetime, and gravity. We focus on the underlying physical principles that shape the cosmos, seeking to understand its origin, composition, structure, and evolution as a unified whole. Our work is primarily theoretical, ranging from high energy physics to theoretical cosmology and astrophysics.

Research Focus Areas

HIRAX Collaboration

We are members of the HIRAX collaboration, whose principal scientific objective is to use 21 cm intensity mapping to probe the nature of dark energy. In the near term, HIRAX will also detect and localize large numbers of Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) through its innovative outrigger array. These observations will enable us to use FRBs as cosmological probes, addressing key questions in astrophysics and cosmology while deepening our understanding of the bursts themselves.

MeerTime & TRAPUM

Members of our group participate in the MeerTime and TRAPUM collaborations, both of which use the MeerKAT radio telescope. MeerTime focuses on high-precision timing of pulsars, while TRAPUM searches for new pulsars and transient sources. Precision studies of these ultra-compact neutron stars allow us to test theories of gravity in the strong-field regime and to search for the stochastic gravitational-wave background produced by a cosmological population of supermassive black hole binaries.

Alternative Theories of Gravity

Our group has significant expertise in chameleon gravity and other alternative theories of gravity, including strategies for testing them. We pursue both theoretical developments and observational and experimental tests of these models. In particular, we are members of the International Axion Observatory (IAXO) and the HIRAX experiment, contributing to efforts to explore physics beyond the Standard Model and General Relativity.