Biography
I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, working with Nick Stone. Previously, I was a Fellow at the Nevada Center for Astrophysics at UNLV, collaborating with Bing Zhang and Zhaohuan Zhu. I completed my PhD at Stony Brook University under Rosalba Perna.
My research establishes a unified framework of disk-regulated cluster dynamics to understand the coupled evolution of AGN disks and stellar populations in galactic nuclei. This paradigm connects a diverse class of AGN transients and gravitational wave sources: tidal disruption events, changing-look AGN, quasi-periodic eruptions, extreme mass-ratio inspirals, and binary black hole mergers detectable by LIGO and LISA. I develop hard-core open-source simulation tools including SpaceHub for few-body dynamics and VegasAfterglow for gamma-ray burst afterglow modeling.
I hate spaghetti code and am a bit stubborn about elegant problem solutions, which wastes a lot of my time.
Download my CV .
- Nuclei cluster dynamics:
◦ Tidal disruption events
◦ Changing-look AGN
◦ Quasi-periodic eruptions
◦ Extreme mass ratio inspirals - Multi-messenger astrophysics
- Free floating planets
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PhD in Physics, 2022
Stony Brook University
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MA in Physics, 2017
Stony Brook University
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BS in Physics (Theoretical Physics), 2015
University of Science and Technology of China
SpaceHub
SpaceHub is a state-of-the-art gravitational dynamics framework designed to solve challenging few-body problems with exceptional precision and efficiency. From supermassive black hole binaries to planetary system evolution, SpaceHub handles extreme scenarios, including large mass ratios, highly eccentric orbits, and close gravitational encounters that often challenge conventional numerical integrators. Built with advanced algorithmic regularization and rigorous round-off error control, it enables reliable long-term integrations where standard codes like REBOUND may struggle with numerical accuracy.
Runge-Kutta (irreversible)
Symplectic (reversible)
Fork SpaceHub Github Repository
VegasAfterglow
VegasAfterglow is a high-performance computational framework for gamma-ray burst afterglow modeling, combining C++ efficiency with Python accessibility. Unlike existing tools such as afterglowpy, VegasAfterglow generates light curves in milliseconds, enabling rapid MCMC parameter inference that would otherwise be computationally prohibitive. The framework also offers more comprehensive physics, including reverse shock emission, synchrotron self-Compton, and flexible jet structures for multi-wavelength afterglow analysis:
Shock Dynamics:
- Forward and reverse shock modeling across relativistic and non-relativistic regimes
- Adiabatic and radiative blast wave solutions
- Support for various ambient medium types with energy and mass injection
Jet Structure & Geometry:
- Structured jet profiles with arbitrary viewing angles
- Jet spreading dynamics and non-axisymmetric structures
- Complex geometric configurations for realistic modeling
Radiation Mechanisms:
- Synchrotron radiation with self-absorption (SSA)
- Inverse Compton scattering including synchrotron self-Compton (SSC)
- Pairwise IC between shock populations with Klein-Nishina corrections
Read the paper: JHEAp, 5, 100490 (2026)
GitHub Repository Install via PyPI
Selected First/Lead Author Publications
Large Collaboration Publications
Talks
Recent Invited Talks & Presentations
2024
- Transient Phenomena and Physical Processes Around Supermassive Black Holes (invited) - October 2024
- 50 years of Binaries and Disks: Lubow@75 - April 2024
- Anticipating the Rising Tide of Tidal Disruption Events, KITP - April 2024
2023
- Graduate Seminar, Nanjing University (invited) - June 2023
- AGN Santafe Conference, Los Alamos National Lab (invited) - March 2023
- Graduate Seminar, Stony Brook University (invited) - February 2023
- Astro-coffee, IAS, Princeton University (invited) - February 2023
- Bahcall lunch talk, IAS, Princeton University (invited) - February 2023
2022
- Graduate Seminar, Georgia Institute of Technology (invited) - September 2022
- 53rd Annual DDA Meeting, CCA, Flatiron Institute - April 2022
2021
- Astrophysics seminar, University of the Balearic Islands (invited) - October 2021
- Planet formation group meeting, CCA, Flatiron Institute - October 2021
- Astronomy Seminar, Universidad de Concepción (invited) - September 2021
- Astronomy Seminar, Stony Brook University - August 2021
- Compact Object Group meeting, CCA, Flatiron Institute - March 2021
2018
- Astronomy Seminar, American Museum of Natural History - August 2018
- Astronomy Group meeting, Cornell University (invited) - June 2018
Research Highlights
Galactic Center Black Hole Merger
Our Milky Way’s central black hole, Sagittarius A*, shows a peculiar spin orientation misaligned with the Galactic plane. We proposed that this misalignment is evidence of a past merger with another massive black hole roughly 9 billion years ago. This work provides a new window into the assembly history of supermassive black holes.
Published in Nature Astronomy (2024). Featured in Phys.org and ScienceDaily.
Stellar Dynamics in AGN Disks
Star-disk coupling in Active Galactic Nuclei fundamentally reshapes nuclear cluster evolution. Objects on retrograde, high-inclination orbits experience eccentricity excitation as their vertical motion is damped. Once flattened, eccentricity is suppressed, leading to prograde, near-circular disk orbits. This process breaks steady-state assumptions and has wide-reaching consequences for tidal disruption events, changing-look AGN, and gravitational wave sources.
Published in MNRAS (2024).
Jupiter Mass Binary Objects (JuMBOs)
JWST discovered Jupiter-Mass Binary Objects in the Orion Nebula—pairs of planetary-mass objects orbiting each other while floating freely in space. Using N-body simulations, we showed that close stellar flybys can eject two planets that remain gravitationally bound.
JuMBO formation: face-on (left) and edge-on (right) scattering.
Published in Nature Astronomy (2024). Featured in Quanta Magazine and Physics World.
Personal
Drawing
I grew up in Chongqing, a city known for its dramatic mountainous terrain and traditional Chinese architecture in southwest China. I enjoy sketching the city’s iconic sites like Hongya Dong, which reflects both its cultural heritage and its striking urban landscape.
I recently revisited this sketch and used Google Gemini to add color and detail:
Skiing
I picked up skiing during my PhD and quickly got hooked despite an early encounter with ski patrol. What started as a new challenge became a regular pursuit where steady improvement kept me coming back.
I’ve been training toward CSIA Level III certification, drawn to their systematic approach to skill development. Below is a clip from a pre-pandemic ski season with friends. I’m the one in the yellow pants.
Contact
- wang3697@wisc.edu
- 500 Lincoln Dr, Madison, WI 53706