List of cosmologists
Encyclopedia
This is a list of people who have made noteworthy contributions to cosmology
(the study of the history and large-scale structure of the universe) and their cosmological achievements.
Cosmology
Cosmology is the discipline that deals with the nature of the Universe as a whole. Cosmologists seek to understand the origin, evolution, structure, and ultimate fate of the Universe at large, as well as the natural laws that keep it in order...
(the study of the history and large-scale structure of the universe) and their cosmological achievements.
A
- Tom AbelTom AbelTom Abel is a cosmologist who first simulated the collapse of a metal-free massive star that belongs to the first generation of stars in the Universe. This work was done in collaboration with Greg L. Bryan and Michael L. Norman and was published in Science magazine . He currently works at the...
(1970–) studied primordial star formation - Roberto AbrahamRoberto AbrahamRoberto Abraham is a Canadian astronomer and is Professor of Astronomy at the University of Toronto and a E.W.R. Steacie Fellow...
(1965–) studied the shapes of early galaxies - Hannes AlfvénHannes AlfvénHannes Olof Gösta Alfvén was a Swedish electrical engineer, plasma physicist and winner of the 1970 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on magnetohydrodynamics . He described the class of MHD waves now known as Alfvén waves...
(1908–1995) theorized that galactic magnetic fields could be generated by plasma currents - Ralph A. Alpher (1921–2007) argued that observed proportions of hydrogen and helium in the universe could be explained by the big bang model, predicted cosmic background radiation
- Aristarchus of SamosAristarchus of SamosAristarchus, or more correctly Aristarchos , was a Greek astronomer and mathematician, born on the island of Samos, in Greece. He presented the first known heliocentric model of the solar system, placing the Sun, not the Earth, at the center of the known universe...
(310–230 BC) was an early proponent of heliocentrism - AristotleAristotleAristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
(circa 384–322 BC) posited a geocentric cosmology that was widely accepted for many centuries - AryabhataAryabhataAryabhata was the first in the line of great mathematician-astronomers from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy...
(476–550) described a geocentric model with slow and fast epicycles
B
- Ja'far ibn Muhammad Abu Ma'shar al-BalkhiJa'far ibn Muhammad Abu Ma'shar al-BalkhiAbū Maʿshar, Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad al-Balkhī , was a Persian astrologer, astronomer, and Islamic philosopher, thought to be the greatest astrologer of the Abbasid court in Baghdad...
(787–886) conveyed Aristotle's theories from Persia to Europe - James M. BardeenJames M. BardeenJames Maxwell Bardeen is an American physicist, well known for his work in general relativity, particularly his role in formulating the laws of black hole mechanics. He also discovered the Bardeen vacuum, an exact solution of the Einstein field equation.Bardeen graduated from Harvard in 1960 and...
(1939–) studied the mathematics of black holes and of vacua under general relativity - John D. BarrowJohn D. Barrow-External links:****** The Forum-Publications available on the Internet:************...
(1952–) popularized the anthropic cosmological principle - Charles L. BennettCharles L. BennettCharles L. Bennett is an American observational astrophysicist and the Alumni Centennial Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University. He is the Principal Investigator of NASA's highly successful Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe...
(1956–) studied the large-scale structure of the universe by mapping irregularities in microwave background radiation - Orfeu BertolamiOrfeu BertolamiOrfeu Bertolami is a theoretical physicist who works in problems of astrophysics, cosmology, general relativity and quantum gravity. He worked at Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon, Portugal from 1991 to 2010...
(1959–) studied the cosmological constant, inflation, dark energy-dark matter unification and interaction, alternative gravity theories - Somnath BharadwajSomnath BharadwajSomnath Bharadwaj is an Indian theoretical physicist who works on Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology.Bharadwaj was born in India, studied at the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur, and later received his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science. After having worked at the...
studied large-scale structure formation - James BinneyJames BinneyJames Jeffrey Binney, FRS, FInstP is a British astrophysicist. He is currently a Professor of Physics at the University of Oxford, where he is head of the Sub-Department of Theoretical Physics as well as a Professorial Fellow at Merton College...
(1950–) studied galactic dynamics and supernova disruption of galactic gasses - Martin BojowaldMartin BojowaldMartin Bojowald is a German physicist who now works on the faculty of the Penn State Physics Department, where he is a member of the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos. Prior to joining Penn State he spent several years at the Max-Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics in Potsdam, Germany...
(1973–) studied loop quantum gravity and established loop quantum cosmology - Hermann BondiHermann BondiSir Hermann Bondi, KCB, FRS was an Anglo-Austrian mathematician and cosmologist. He is best known for developing the steady-state theory of the universe with Fred Hoyle and Thomas Gold as an alternative to the Big Bang theory, but his most lasting legacy will probably be his important...
(1919–2005) developed the steady-state model - Tycho BraheTycho BraheTycho Brahe , born Tyge Ottesen Brahe, was a Danish nobleman known for his accurate and comprehensive astronomical and planetary observations...
(1546–1601) promoted a geo-heliocentric system of epicycles
C
- Bernard J. Carr promoted the anthropic principle, studied primordial black holes
- Sean M. CarrollSean M. CarrollSean Michael Carroll is a senior research associate in the Department of Physics at the California Institute of Technology. He is a theoretical cosmologist specializing in dark energy and general relativity...
(1966–) researched dark energy, general relativity, and spontaneous inflation - Peter ColesPeter ColesPeter Coles is Professor of Theoretical Astrophysics at Cardiff University where he has worked since 2007.He was born in Newcastle upon Tyne and educated at the Royal Grammar School, Newcastle. He did his first degree at Magdalene College, Cambridge in Natural Sciences, specialising in Theoretical...
(1963–) modeled galactic clustering and authored several cosmology books - Asantha CoorayAsantha CoorayAsantha Cooray is a Professor and a Chancellor's Fellow at University of California, Irvine, CA, USA and a member of the research faculty at the California Institute of Technology...
(1973–) studied dark energy, halo models of large structure, and cosmic microwave radiation - Nicolaus CopernicusNicolaus CopernicusNicolaus Copernicus was a Renaissance astronomer and the first person to formulate a comprehensive heliocentric cosmology which displaced the Earth from the center of the universe....
(1473–1543) was the first scientist to formulate a heliocentric cosmology
D
- Paul DaviesPaul DaviesPaul Charles William Davies, AM is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, currently a professor at Arizona State University as well as the Director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science...
(1946–) developed a vacuum model that explains microwave background fluctuation, studies time's arrow, and has written many popular-press books - Marc Davis (astronomer) (1947–) was lead astronomer of a survey of 50,000 high-redshift galaxies
- Avishai DekelAvishai DekelAvishai Dekel is a professor of physics at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, holding the Andre Aisenstadt Chair of Theoretical Physics. He is performing research in astrophysics and cosmology. Prof. Dekel got his Ph.D...
(1951–) studied galaxy formation and large scale structure in dark matter-dark energy dominated universes - Robert H. DickeRobert H. DickeRobert Henry Dicke was an American physicist who made important contributions to the fields of astrophysics, atomic physics, cosmology and gravity.-Biography:...
(1916–1997) measured background radiation, used an early version of the anthropic principle to relate the gravitational constant to the age of the universe - Mike J. DisneyMike DisneyMichael John Disney is an astrophysicist. He discovered the optical component of the Crab Pulsar in 1969 with John Cocke...
(1937–) discovered low surface brightness galaxies
E
- Jürgen EhlersJürgen EhlersJürgen Ehlers was a German physicist who made notable contributions to the current understanding of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity...
(1929–2008) described gravitational lensing and studied the mathematical implications of an isotropic microwave background - Jaan EinastoJaan EinastoJaan Einasto is an eminent Estonian astrophysicist and one of the discoverers of the cellular structure of the Universe....
(1929–) studied structure in the large-scale distribution of superclusters of galaxies - Albert EinsteinAlbert EinsteinAlbert Einstein was a German-born theoretical physicist who developed the theory of general relativity, effecting a revolution in physics. For this achievement, Einstein is often regarded as the father of modern physics and one of the most prolific intellects in human history...
(1879–1955) invented general relativity and the cosmological constant - George F. R. Ellis (1939–) theorized a cylindrical steady-state universe with a naked singularity as recycling mechanism
- Richard S. EllisRichard Ellis (astronomer)Richard Salisbury Ellis CBE FRS is the Steele Professor of Astronomy at the California Institute of Technology ....
(1950–) used gravitational lensing and high-redshift supernovae to study the origin of galaxies, large scale structure, and dark matter
F
- Sandra M. FaberSandra M. FaberSandra Moore Faber is a University Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz, and works at the Lick Observatory.In 1966, she obtained a B.A., with high honors, in physics from Swarthmore College....
(1944–) discovered the Great Attractor, a supercluster-scale gravitational anomaly; co-inventor of the theory of cold dark matter - Carlos S. FrenkCarlos FrenkProfessor Carlos Silvestre Frenk is a Mexican-British cosmologist. His main interests lie in the field of cosmology, galaxy formation and computer simulations of cosmic structure formation....
(1951–) studied cosmic structure formation - Alexander Friedmann (1888–1925) discovered the expanding-universe solution to general relativity
G
- George GamowGeorge GamowGeorge Gamow , born Georgiy Antonovich Gamov , was a Russian-born theoretical physicist and cosmologist. He discovered alpha decay via quantum tunneling and worked on radioactive decay of the atomic nucleus, star formation, stellar nucleosynthesis, Big Bang nucleosynthesis, cosmic microwave...
(1904–1968) argued that observed proportions of hydrogen and helium in the universe could be explained by the big bang model, modeled the mass and radius of primordial galaxies - Margaret J. GellerMargaret GellerMargaret Joan Geller is an American astronomer and professor. She is a Senior Astronomer at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, and has written numerous articles and produced several award-winning scientific short films....
discovered the Great Wall, a superstructure-scale filament of galaxies - Thomas GoldThomas GoldThomas Gold was an Austrian-born astrophysicist, a professor of astronomy at Cornell University, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and a Fellow of the Royal Society . Gold was one of three young Cambridge scientists who in the 1950s proposed the now mostly abandoned 'steady...
(1920–2004) proposed the steady-state theory - Gerson GoldhaberGerson GoldhaberGerson Goldhaber was an American particle physicist and astrophysicist. He was one of the discoverers of the J/ψ meson which confirmed the existence of the charm quark...
(1924–) used supernova observations to measure the energy density of the universe - J. Richard GottJ. Richard GottJohn Richard Gott III is a professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University. He is known for developing and advocating two cosmological theories with the flavor of science fiction: Time travel and the Doomsday argument.- Exotic matter time travel theories :Paul Davies's bestseller How...
(1947–) proposed the use of cosmic strings for time travel - Alan GuthAlan GuthAlan Harvey Guth is an American theoretical physicist and cosmologist. Guth has researched elementary particle theory...
(1947–) explained the isotropy of the universe by theorizing a phase of exponential inflation soon after the big bang
H
- Stephen W. HawkingStephen HawkingStephen William Hawking, CH, CBE, FRS, FRSA is an English theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose scientific books and public appearances have made him an academic celebrity...
(1942–) described singularities in general relativity and developed singularity-free models of the big bang; predicted primordial black holes - Charles W. HellabyCharles W. HellabyDr Charles Hellaby is a lecturer at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He is a member of the . His research interests include:* Inhomogeneous cosmology...
described models of general relativity with nonconstant metric signature - Michał Heller (1936–) researched noncommutative approaches to quantum relativity
- Robert C. HermanRobert HermanRobert Herman was a United States scientist, best known for his work with Ralph Alpher in 1948-50, on estimating the temperature of cosmic microwave background radiation from the Big Bang explosion....
(1914–1997) predicted the background radiation temperature - Lars HernquistLars HernquistLars Hernquist is a theoretical astrophysicist and Mallinckrodt Professor of Astrophysics at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He is best known for his research on dynamical processes in cosmology and galaxy formation/galaxy evolution.-Research:...
studied galaxy formation and evolution - Honorius AugustodunensisHonorius AugustodunensisHonorius Augustodunensis , commonly known as Honorius of Autun, was a very popular 12th-century Christian theologian who wrote prolifically on many subjects. He wrote in a non-scholastic manner, with a lively style, and his works were approachable for the lay community in general...
(–1151) wrote a popular encyclopedia of cosmology, geography, and world history - Hans HörbigerHans HörbigerHanns Hörbiger was an Austrian engineer from Vienna with roots in Tyrol. He took part in the construction of the Budapest subway and in 1894 invented a new type of valve essential for compressors still in widespread use today.He is also remembered today for his pseudoscientific Welteislehre ...
(1860–1931) formulated a pseudoscientific theory of ice as the basic substance of all cosmic processes - Fred HoyleFred HoyleSir Fred Hoyle FRS was an English astronomer and mathematician noted primarily for his contribution to the theory of stellar nucleosynthesis and his often controversial stance on other cosmological and scientific matters—in particular his rejection of the "Big Bang" theory, a term originally...
(1915–2001) promoted the steady state theory, used the anthropic principle to explain the energy levels of carbon nuclei - Edwin P. HubbleEdwin HubbleEdwin Powell Hubble was an American astronomer who profoundly changed the understanding of the universe by confirming the existence of galaxies other than the Milky Way - our own galaxy...
(1889–1953) demonstrated the existence of other galaxies and confirmed the relation between redshift and distance - John P. HuchraJohn HuchraJohn Peter Huchra [pronounced HUCK-rah] was an American astronomer and professor. He was the Vice Provost for Research Policy at Harvard University and a Professor of Astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He was also a former chair of the United States National Committee...
(1948–) discovered the Great Wall, a superstructure-scale filament of galaxies
K
- Ronald KantowskiRonald KantowskiRonald Kantowski is a theoretical cosmologist, well known in the field of general relativity as the author, together with Rainer K. Sachs, of the Kantowski/Sachs dust solutions to the Einstein field equation. These are a widely used family of inhomogeneous cosmological models.Kantowski received his...
discovered spatially homogeneous but anisotropic solutions to general relativity - Johannes KeplerJohannes KeplerJohannes Kepler was a German mathematician, astronomer and astrologer. A key figure in the 17th century scientific revolution, he is best known for his eponymous laws of planetary motion, codified by later astronomers, based on his works Astronomia nova, Harmonices Mundi, and Epitome of Copernican...
(1571–1630) pioneered heliocentrism, discovered elliptical planetary motion, attempted to explain heavenly motions through physical causes - Isaak Markovich KhalatnikovIsaak Markovich KhalatnikovIsaak Markovich Khalatnikov is a leading Soviet physicist, well known for his role in developing the BKL conjecture in general relativity.Khalatnikov was born in Dnipropetrovsk and graduated from Dnipropetrovsk State University with a degree in Physics in 1941. He has been a member of the...
(1919–) conjectured an oscillatory model with an essential singularity for the evolution of the universe - Tom W. B. KibbleTom W. B. KibbleThomas Walter Bannerman Kibble, FRS, is a British scientist and senior research investigator at The Blackett Laboratory, at Imperial College London, UK. His research interests are in quantum field theory, especially the interface between high-energy particle physics and cosmology...
introduced the concept of cosmic strings - Robert KirshnerRobert KirshnerRobert Kirshner is the Clowes Professor of Science in the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University. Kirshner has worked in several areas of astronomy including the physics of supernovae, supernova remnants, the Large-scale structure of the cosmos, and the use of Supernovae...
(1949–) discovered the Boötes void, a large region sparsely populated with galaxies, and wrote a popular book on cosmology - Edward KolbEdward KolbEdward W. Kolb, usually known as Rocky Kolb, is a cosmologist and a professor at the University of Chicago. He has worked on many aspects of the big bang cosmology, including baryogenesis, nucleosynthesis and dark matter. He is author, with Michael Turner, of the popular textbook The Early Universe...
studied big bang cosmology including the emergence of baryons and dark matter, and wrote a popular textbook on cosmology
L
- Ofer LahavOfer LahavProfessor Ofer Lahav is the Perren Chair of Astronomy and Head of Astrophysics at University College London....
(1959–) studied dark matter and dark energy - Tod R. LauerTod R. LauerTod R. Lauer is an astronomer on the research staff of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory. He was a member of the Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field and Planetary Camera team, and is a founding member of the Nuker Team...
catalogued massive black holes at galaxy centers and correlated their mass with other properties of the galaxies' structures - Georges Henri LemaîtreGeorges LemaîtreMonsignor Georges Henri Joseph Édouard Lemaître was a Belgian priest, astronomer and professor of physics at the Catholic University of Louvain. He was the first person to propose the theory of the expansion of the Universe, widely misattributed to Edwin Hubble...
(1894–1966) proposed the big bang theory and the distance-redshift relation - Andrew R. LiddleAndrew R. LiddleAndrew R. Liddle is Professor of astrophysics at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. Publications include books and over 150 papers.-Publications:...
(1965–) studied inflationary models, wrote two books on inflation and primordial inhomogeneities - Evgeny M. Lifshitz (1915–1985) conjectured an oscillatory model with an essential singularity for the evolution of the universe
- Andrei LindeAndrei LindeAndrei Dmitriyevich Linde is a Russian-American theoretical physicist and professor of Physics at Stanford University. Dr. Linde is best known for his work on the concept of the inflationary universe. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Moscow State University. In 1975, Linde was...
(1948–) pioneered inflationary models and proposed eternal chaotic inflation of universes from the false vacuum - Abraham LoebAbraham (Avi) LoebAbraham Loeb is an American/Israeli theoretical physicist who works on astrophysics and cosmology. Professor Loeb serves as Chair of the Harvard Astronomy department and is also director of the Institute for Theory and Computation at Harvard University...
(1962–) researched primordial stars, primordial black holes, quasars, reionization, gravitational lensing, and gamma-ray bursts - David H. LythDavid H. LythProfessor David Lyth is a researcher in particle cosmology at the University of Lancaster. He has published over 165 papers as well as two books on early universe cosmology and cosmological inflation.-Research:...
studied particle cosmology, wrote two books on inflation and primordial inhomogeneities
M
- João MagueijoJoão MagueijoJoão Magueijo is a Portuguese cosmologist and professor in Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London. He is a pioneer of the varying speed of light theory.- Career :...
(1967–) proposed much faster speeds of light in the young universe as an alternative explanation to inflation for its homogeneity - Richard MasseyRichard MasseyDr. Richard Massey is a physicist currently working as an STFC Advanced Fellow at the Institute for Astronomy of the University of Edinburgh...
(1977–) mapped dark matter in the universe - Charles W. MisnerCharles W. MisnerCharles W. Misner is an American physicist and one of the authors of Gravitation. His specialties include general relativity and cosmology. His work has also provided early foundations for studies of quantum gravity and numerical relativity....
(1932–) studied solutions to general relativity including the mixmaster universe and Misner space, wrote influential text on gravitation - John Moffat (1932–) proposed much faster speeds of light in the young universe, developed antisymmetric theories of gravity
- Lauro MoscardiniLauro MoscardiniLauro Moscardini is an Italian astrophysicist and cosmologist. He was a graduate student in astronomy at the University of Bologna, where he received both his laurea and his Ph.D.. He is currently holding the position of professor of cosmology at the University of Bologna.-Research:Lauro Moscardini...
modeled galaxy clustering in the early universe
P
- Thanu PadmanabhanThanu PadmanabhanThanu Padmanabhan is an Indian theoretical physicist. He is currently Distinguished Professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, at Pune, India. His principal fields of research are Cosmology and the interface between Gravity and Quantum theory...
(1957–) studied quantum gravity and quantum cosmology - Leonard ParkerLeonard ParkerLeonard Parker is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Physics and a former Director of the Center for Gravitation and Cosmology at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. During the late 1960s, Parker established a new area of physics - quantum field theory in curved spacetime...
established the study of quantum field theory within general relativity - P. James E. PeeblesJim PeeblesPhillip James Edwin Peebles is a Canadian-American physicist and theoretical cosmologist who is currently the Albert Einstein Professor Emeritus of Science at Princeton University. Peebles was born in Winnipeg and completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Manitoba...
(1935–) predicted cosmic background radiation, contributed to structure theory, developed models that avoid dark matter - Roger PenroseRoger PenroseSir Roger Penrose OM FRS is an English mathematical physicist and Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at the Mathematical Institute, University of Oxford and Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College...
(1931–) linked singularities to gravitational collapse, conjectured the nonexistence of naked singularities, and used gravitational entropy to explain homogeneity - Arno Penzias (1933–) was the first to observe the cosmic background radiation
- Saul PerlmutterSaul PerlmutterSaul Perlmutter is an American astrophysicist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of...
(1959–) used supernova observations to measure the expansion of the universe - Joel PrimackJoel PrimackJoel R. Primack is a professor of physics and astrophysics at the University of California, Santa Cruz and is a member of the Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics. Dr. Primack received his A.B. from Princeton University in 1966 and his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1970. According to...
co-invented the theory of cold dark matter - PtolemyPtolemyClaudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
(90–168) wrote the only surviving ancient text on astronomy, conjectured a model of the universe as a set of nested spheres with epicycles
R
- Martin Rees (1942–) proposed that quasars are powered by black holes, disproved steady state by studying distribution of quasars
- Yoel RephaeliYoel Rephaeli407074131Yoel Rephaeli is an Israeli-American cosmologist. He is a Professor of Physics at Tel Aviv University, Israel. Rephaeli is considered an expert on the subject of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect and the astrophysics of galaxy clusters.-References:...
used the distortion of the cosmic background by high-energy electrons to infer the existence of galaxy clusters - Adam RiessAdam RiessAdam Guy Riess is an American astrophysicist at Johns Hopkins University and the Space Telescope Science Institute and is widely known for his research in using supernovae as Cosmological Probes. Riess shared both the 2006 Shaw Prize in Astronomy and the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics with Saul...
(1969–) found evidence in supernova data that the expansion of the universe is accelerating and confirming dark energy models - Howard P. RobertsonHoward Percy RobertsonHoward Percy Robertson was an American mathematician and physicist known for contributions related to physical cosmology and the uncertainty principle...
(1903–1961) solved the two-body problem in an approximation to general relativity, developed the standard model of general relativity - Vera RubinVera RubinVera Rubin is an American astronomer who pioneered work on galaxy rotation rates. She is famous for uncovering the discrepancy between the predicted angular motion of galaxies and the observed motion, by studying galactic rotation curves...
(1928–) discovered discrepancies in galactic rotation rates leading to the theory of dark matter
S
- Rainer K. Sachs (1932–) discovered gravitationally induced redshifts in the cosmic background radiation
- Allan SandageAllan SandageAllan Rex Sandage was an American astronomer. He was Staff Member Emeritus with the Carnegie Observatories in Pasadena, California. He is best known for determining the first reasonably accurate value for the Hubble constant and the age of the universe.-Career:Sandage was one of the most...
(1936–) set the cosmological distance scale and accurately estimated the speed of expansion of the universe - Brian P. SchmidtBrian P. SchmidtBrian P. Schmidt is a Distinguished Professor, Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and astrophysicist at the Australian National University Mount Stromlo Observatory and Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is widely known for his research in using supernovae as Cosmological...
(1967–) used supernova data to measure the acceleration in the expansion of the universe - David N. Schramm (1945–1997) was an export on big bang theory and an early proponent of dark matter
- Dennis W. SciamaDennis William SciamaDennis William Siahou Sciama FRS was a British physicist who, through his own work and that of his students, played a major role in developing British physics after the Second World War. He is considered as one of the fathers of modern cosmology.-Life:Sciama was born in Manchester, England...
(1926–1999) studied many aspects of cosmology and supervised many other leading cosmologists - Seleucus of SeleuciaSeleucus of SeleuciaSeleucus of Seleucia was a Hellenistic astronomer and philosopher. Coming from Seleucia on the Tigris, the capital of the Seleucid empire, or, alternatively, Seleukia on the Red Sea, he is best known as a proponent of heliocentrism and for his theory of the origin of tides.- Heliocentric theory...
(c.190 BC–) used tidal observations to support a heliocentric model - Roman Ulrich SexlRoman Ulrich SexlRoman Ulrich Sexl was one of the leading Austrian theoretical physicists.Since 1972 he has been professor for Cosmology and General Relativity at the University of Vienna...
(1939–1986) developed an ether-based theory of absolute simultaneity that is mathematically equivalent to special relativity - Al-SijziAl-SijziAbu Sa'id Ahmed ibn Mohammed ibn Abd Jalil Sijzi was a Persian astronomer and mathematician from Sistan, a region lying in the south-west of Afghanistan and south-east of Iran....
(c.945–1020) invented an astrolabe based on heliocentric principles - Joseph SilkJoe SilkJoseph Ivor Silk is the Savilian Chair of Astronomy at the University of Oxford. He came back to the UK in 1999 to take up the position, following a nearly 30-year career at the University of California, Berkeley. He was educated at Tottenham County School and Cambridge University . He held...
explained the homogeneity of the early universe using photon diffusion damping - Willem de SitterWillem de SitterWillem de Sitter was a Dutch mathematician, physicist and astronomer.-Life and work:Born in Sneek, De Sitter studied mathematics at the University of Groningen and then joined the Groningen astronomical laboratory. He worked at the Cape Observatory in South Africa...
(1872–1934) developed a theory of dark matter with Einstein, found an expanding matterless solution to general relativity - Lee SmolinLee SmolinLee Smolin is an American theoretical physicist, a researcher at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and an adjunct professor of physics at the University of Waterloo. He is married to Dina Graser, a communications lawyer in Toronto. His brother is David M...
(1955–) studied quantum gravity, popularized a theory of cosmological natural selection - George F. Smoot (1945–) used Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite to measure the temperature and anisotropy of the early universe
- David N. SpergelDavid SpergelDavid Nathaniel Spergel , is an American theoretical astrophysicist and Princeton University professor known for his work on the WMAP mission. Professor Spergel is a MacArthur Fellow. He has served as the chair of the Astrophysics Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council and was once the W.M...
(1961–) used Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe satellite to measure the temperature and anisotropy of the early universe - Paul SteinhardtPaul SteinhardtPaul J. Steinhardt is the Albert Einstein Professor of Science at Princeton University and a professor of theoretical physics. He received his B.S. at the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in Physics at Harvard University...
helped develop inflation theory, introduced quintessential dark energy, studied brane cosmology and cyclic models of the universe - Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903–986) identified the large Magellanic cloud and made the first recorded observation of the Andromeda galaxy
- Nicholas B. SuntzeffNicholas B. SuntzeffNicholas B. Suntzeff holds the Mitchell/Heep/Munnerlyn Chair of Astronomy in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at Texas A&M University and is Director of the Astronomy Program. He is an observational astronomer specializing in cosmology, supernovae, stellar populations, and astronomical...
used supernova observations to discover acceleration in the expansion of the universe, calibrated the supernova distance scale - Rashid SunyaevRashid SunyaevRashid Alievich Sunyaev was born in Tashkent, Uzbek SSR, on March 1, 1943 to a Tatar family, and educated at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and Moscow State University . He became a professor at MIPT in 1974...
(1943–) developed a theory of density fluctuations in the early universe, described how to use cosmic background distortion to observe large-scale density fluctuations - Brian SwimmeBrian SwimmeBrian Thomas Swimme is on the faculty of the California Institute of Integral Studies, in San Francisco, where he teaches evolutionary cosmology to graduate students in the humanities. He received his Ph.D. from the department of mathematics at the University of Oregon for work in singularity...
(1950–) wrote four books on religious aspects of cosmology
T
- Max TegmarkMax TegmarkMax Tegmark is a Swedish-American cosmologist. Tegmark is a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and belongs to the scientific directorate of the Foundational Questions Institute.-Early life:...
(1967–) determined the parameters of the lambda-cold dark matter model using Sloan Survey data, studied mathematical models of multiverses - William G. TifftWilliam G. TifftWilliam G. Tifft is Emeritus Professor/Astronomer at the University of Arizona. His main interests are in galaxies, superclusters and what Tifft calls redshift problems . He was influential in the development of the first redshift surveys and was an early proponent of manned space astronomy,...
theorized that galactic redshifts are quantized - Beatrice TinsleyBeatrice TinsleyBeatrice Muriel Hill Tinsley was a New Zealand astronomer and cosmologist whose research made fundamental contributions to the astronomical understanding of how galaxies evolve with time.-Life:...
(1941–1981) researched galactic evolution, the creation of lightweight elements, and accelerated expansion of the universe - Frank J. TiplerFrank J. TiplerFrank Jennings Tipler is a mathematical physicist and cosmologist, holding a joint appointment in the Departments of Mathematics and Physics at Tulane University. Tipler has authored books and papers on the Omega Point, which he claims is a mechanism for the resurrection of the dead. It has been...
(1947–) proved that time travel requires singularities, promoted the anthropic principle - Richard Chase Tolman (1881–1948) showed that the cosmic background keeps a black-body profile as the universe expands
- Trinh Xuan ThuanTrinh Xuan ThuanTrịnh Xuân Thuận is a Vietnamese-American astrophysicist.Thuận was born in Hanoi, Vietnam. He completed his B.S. at the California Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. at Princeton University. He has taught astronomy at the University of Virginia since 1976, and is a Research Associate at the...
(1948–) researched galaxy formation and evolution - Mark TroddenMark TroddenMark Trodden is a theoretical cosmologist and particle physicist. He is the Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics and Co-Director of the Center for Particle Cosmology at the University of Pennsylvania.-Education and career:...
(1968–) studied cosmological implications of topological defects in field theories - Michael S. Turner coined the term dark energy
- Neil TurokNeil TurokNeil Geoffrey Turok is the Director of Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. He is the son of Mary and Ben Turok, activists in the anti-apartheid movement and the African National Congress.-Career:...
(1958–) predicted correlations between polarization and temperature anisotropy in the cosmic background, explained the big bang as a brane collision - Henry TyeHenry TyeSze-Hoi Henry Tye is a Chinese-American cosmologist and theoretical physicist most notable for proposing that a brane and an antibrane attraction and annihilation with one another, causes cosmic inflation and his work on superstring theory, brane cosmology and elementary particle physics. He...
(1947–) proposed brane-antibrane interactions as a cause of inflation
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- Alexander VilenkinAlexander VilenkinAlexander Vilenkin is Professor of Physics and Director of the Institute of Cosmology at Tufts University. A theoretical physicist who has been working in the field of cosmology for 25 years, Vilenkin has written over 150 papers and is responsible for introducing the ideas of eternal inflation and...
introduced eternal inflation, studied cosmic strings, theorized the creation of the universe from quantum fluctuations
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- Robert M. Wald (1947–) wrote a popular text on general relativity, studied the thermodynamics of black holes
- Arthur Geoffrey WalkerArthur Geoffrey WalkerArthur Geoffrey Walker was a leading mathematician who made important contributions to physics and physical cosmology. He was born in Watford, Hertfordshire, England....
(1909–2001) developed the standard model of general relativity and studied the mathematics of relativistic reference frames - David WandsDavid WandsDavid Wands is Professor of cosmology at the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation, in the University of Portsmouth.His research interests are in cosmology and the physics of the early universe. Wands has published numerous papers on cosmology....
studied inflation, superstrings, and density perturbations in the early universe - Yun WangYun WangYun Wang is a poet and professor of astrophysics specializing in cosmology. She is originally from Gaoping, a small town near Zunyi, in Guizhou Province, China...
(1964–) uses supernova and galactic redshift data to probe dark energy - Jeffrey WeeksJeffrey Weeks (mathematician)Jeffrey Renwick Weeks is an American mathematician, a geometric topologist and cosmologist.-Biography:Weeks received his B.A. from Dartmouth College in 1978, and his Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton University in 1985, under the supervision of William Thurston...
used cosmic background patterns to determine the topology of the universe - Simon D. WhiteSimon WhiteProfessor Simon David Manton White, FRS is a British astrophysicist. He is one of four directors at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics.- Life :...
(1951–) studied galaxy formation in the lambda-cold dark matter model - David Todd WilkinsonDavid Todd WilkinsonDavid Todd Wilkinson was a world-renowned pioneer in the field of cosmology, specializing in the study of the cosmic microwave background radiation left over from the Big Bang. He was born in Hillsdale, Michigan, and earned his Ph.D. in physics at the University of Michigan under the supervision...
(1935–2002) used satellite probes to measure the cosmic background radiation - Edward L. WrightEdward L. WrightEdward L. Wright is an American astrophysicist and cosmologist, well known for his achievements in the COBE project and as a strong Big Bang proponent in web tutorials on cosmology and theory of relativity....
promoted big bang theories, studied the effect of dust absorption on measurements of the cosmic background
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- Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovichYakov Borisovich Zel'dovichYakov Borisovich Zel'dovich was a prolific Soviet physicist born in Belarus. He played an important role in the development of Soviet nuclear and thermonuclear weapons, and made important contributions to the fields of adsorption and catalysis, shock waves, nuclear physics, particle physics,...
(1914–1987) used accretion disks of massive black holes to explain quasars, predicted Compton scattering of the cosmic background