Galaxy formation and cosmology

The Galaxy Formation and Cosmology Group at Stanford works on a wide range of topics at the interface of theoretical, numerical, and observational astrophysics and cosmology. Our primary areas of focus are understanding the growth of structure in the universe, how structure formation drives galaxy formation, and how galaxies can be used to probe the fundamental physics of the universe—especially the nature of dark matter and dark energy. Our group uses computer simulations, physical and empirical models, and the deepest and largest galaxy surveys to determine how the universe—from the largest cosmic scales to the Milky Way and its tiniest satellites—formed and evolved.