Paolo Coppi

Paolo Coppi is a Professor of Astronomy at Yale University, affiliated with the Department of Physics and the Department of Astronomy. His primary research focuses on astrophysics and cosmology, particularly high-energy plasma processes, black hole dynamics, and extragalactic surveys. He leads major projects like the La Silla-QUEST Variability Survey and contributes to instruments like the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and the High Energy X-ray Probe (HEX-P).

Education: Ph.D. in Physics from California Institute of Technology (Caltech), 1990.

Research Interests:
- Relativistic astrophysical jets and their instabilities
- Black hole mergers and accretion physics
- Gamma-ray astronomy and particle acceleration mechanisms
- Galactic structure and halo dynamics via RR Lyrae stars
- Development of advanced detectors like LArTPC for antimatter studies

Key Projects:

• La Silla-QUEST Survey: Mapping galactic structure and AGN variability
• CTA: World’s largest VHE gamma-ray observatory
• HEX-P: Probing BH spin and jet dynamics via X-ray spectroscopy
• GRAMS: Stratospheric balloon experiments for antimatter detection

Labs/Teams: Active in CTA consortium, HEX-P mission design, and Yale’s astrophysical instrumentation groups.