Scientific Highlights

With Daniel Eisenstein and the BOSS team, I made the first detection of Baryon Acoustic Oscillation (BAO) features in the galaxy 3-Point Correlation Function.  These features are a large-scale signature of sound waves (BAO) propagating through the cosmic plasma in the first 380,000 years, and can be used to measure the Universe's expansion rate with high precision. In turn, this constrains the driver of that expansion, dark energy. 

With the 4-Point Correlation Function, my team and I have shown how to probe a preference of the Universe for one 'handedness' over the other (parity violation, or breaking of mirror symmetry). We have apparently found a signal at high significance. If the signal bears out, it will show new, beyond-Standard Model physics happening at the Universe's very start. One possible explanation is axion inflation, for which we have made the first full calculation of the parity-odd trispectrum (Fourier-space 4PCF).

About Me

I am originally from Connecticut. An early interest in philosophy, especially Descartes, led to my current interest in cosmology. I attended public high school, received an A.B. from Princeton (2011), working with J. Richard Gott, III on my senior thesis, an M.St. in philosophy of physics at Oxford (2012), supervised by Harvey Brown and Simon Saunders, and an M.A. (2014) and Ph.D. in Astrophysics (2016) from Harvard, advised by Daniel J. Eisenstein. 

My current research follows three broad paths: creating theoretical models for large-scale structure, designing fast algorithms to measure it, and applying them to datasets such as BOSS, eBOSS, DESI, and Roman. 

Cutting across these areas are a strong attraction to analytic methods and an interest in effective use of high-performance computing, especially GPUs. 

I have advised 13 students and one postdoc in the past and currently enjoy working with a vibrant group of five graduate students, a post-doc, and ~five undergraduates, as well as several frequent external collaborators.

Outside of the office (and frequently, in it), I enjoy classical music. I play the viola and violin. I also enjoy bargain-hunting at local antique stores, especially for furniture and scientific tools. I own 14 desks, and unfortunately none of them are clutter-free. A distant relative (by marriage!) is Harvey Tananbaum, an X-ray astrophysicist, and his mentorship and example were an early influence on my own path into astrophysics.