Center for Computational Astrophysics
Flatiron Institute
Email: chayward [at] flatironinstitute [dot] org
Mailing address:
Flatiron Institute
162 5th Ave., 6th floor
New York, NY 10010
USA
Primary research interests: galaxy formation, high-redshift galaxies, submillimeter galaxies, active galactic nuclei, radiative transfer, dust, (magneto)hydrodynamics, spectral energy distribution fitting, low-surface-brightness galaxies
About me
I am a theorist who works to answer a wide variety of pressing open questions regarding galaxy formation. I emphasize bridging the gap between theory and observations by predicting observables from hydrodynamical simulations of galaxies through dust radiative transfer. I also do more traditional ‘pure’ theoretical work, ranging from developing an analytic theory for how stellar feedback simultaneously regulates star formation and drives outflows to magnetohydrodynamic simulations of galaxy mergers to detailed comparisons of numerical hydrodynamical methods and 'sub-resolution' implementations of crucial physical processes that cannot currently be treated ab initio in galaxy formation simulations, such as black hole growth.
I am currently a Research Scientist at the Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute, which is funded by the Simons Foundation. Previously, I was a Moore Prize Postdoctoral Scholar in Theoretical Astrophysics at Caltech, where I primarily worked with Prof. Phil Hopkins. From December 2011 until July 2014, I was an independent postdoctoral scholar in Prof. Volker Springel’s group at the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies. In October 2011, I earned my PhD from Harvard; my supervisor was Prof. Lars Hernquist. Prior to starting at Harvard in September 2006, I spent a year in Cambridge, England, where I earned a Master of Advanced Study in Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (with honors) for surviving Part III of the Mathematical Tripos. My undergrad years were spent at the University of Michigan, where I triple-majored in Astronomy & Astrophysics (highest honors), Physics, and Mathematics (high honors). I had the great fortune to start doing astrophysics research with Prof. Joel Bregman essentially as soon as I arrived at U of M, and I haven’t looked back since!