Ph.D. - Astronomy
The University of Texas at Austin - 2018
Aaron Smith
Assistant Professor - Physics
Join us in Computational Astrophysics at UTD! Our team pioneers groundbreaking computational tools and theories to tackle key questions in astrophysics and cosmology. Explore the mysteries of high-redshift galaxies and engage in cutting-edge research!
Professional Preparation
B.S. - Physics and Mathematics
Brigham Young University - 2012
Brigham Young University - 2012
Research Areas
Technical Research Summary
A major theme of my research is to understand the nature of the first galaxies and the ensuing cosmic phase transition known as the Epoch of Reionization. I lead the THESAN and THESAN-ZOOMS (www.thesan-project.com) simulation campaigns to produce realistic galaxies and synthetic observations, enabling a more fruitful exploitation of current and forthcoming data. I am the author of the state-of-the-art COLT (colt.readthedocs.io) Monte Carlo radiative transfer and AREPO-MCRT moving-mesh radiation-hydrodynamics codes. My research spans multiple subfields in astrophysics and provides strong synergy with theory and observation.Publications
The thesan project: public data release of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations matching reionization-era JWST observations 2024 - Journal Article
The thesan project: Connecting ionized bubble sizes to their local environments during the Epoch of Reionization 2024 - Journal Article
The thesan project: connecting ionized bubble sizes to their local environments during the Epoch of Reionization 2024 - Journal Article
Simulating ionization feedback from young massive stars: Impact of numerical resolution 2023 - Journal Article
TODDLERS: a new UV–mm emission library for star-forming regions – I. Integration with SKIRT and public release 2023 - Journal Article
Awards
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) - The University of Texas at Austin [2014]
Appointments
Assistant Professor, Physics
The University of Texas at Dallas [2023–Present]
The University of Texas at Dallas [2023–Present]
ITC Postdoctoral Fellow
Harvard University [2022–2023]
Harvard University [2022–2023]
NASA Einstein Fellow
Massachusetts Institute of Technology [2018–2022]
Massachusetts Institute of Technology [2018–2022]
News Articles
JWST’s Glimpses of Early Galaxies Could Shed Light on Dark Matter
![A portion of the dwarf galaxy Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte (WLM) captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera. Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/Kristen McQuinn (RU) (science); Zolt G. Levay (STScI) (image processing)](https://profiles.utdallas.edu/storage/media/3809/conversions/B4A25793-4E05-462B-96F1D8C17425675E_source-medium.jpg)
New Record-Breaking Simulation Sheds Light on ‘Cosmic Dawn’
![Evolution of the intergalactic medium during reionization from THESAN with caleidoscopic zoom-in regions of a galaxy.](https://profiles.utdallas.edu/storage/media/3808/conversions/thesan-medium.jpg)