معرفی
Alex Ji is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago. His research focuses on Near Field Cosmology, exploring the first stars and galaxies through stellar archaeology. He leads studies of ancient supernova explosions and their impact on galactic evolution, utilizing SDSS-V spectral surveys and the S5 collaboration's 6D stellar stream mapping.
Key research areas include:
- Reconstructing cosmic history via elemental abundances in stars
- Mapping dark matter distributions using tidal stellar streams
- Uncovering extreme astrophysical phenomena like hyperfast runaway stars
Recent achievements include a Sloan Research Fellowship (2025) and LSST Scialog Award (2025), alongside groundbreaking discoveries such as the 'spectacularly chemical' star in SDSS-V (2024) and the extended halo of Tucana II dwarf galaxy (2023). His work has been featured in high-profile media including ScienceAlert, The Guardian, and New York Times.
Collaborations include the S5 collaboration producing the first 6D stellar stream maps, and leadership in the Caterpillar Project exploring r-process elements in ancient galaxies. Ji has also advised popular science content for Kurzgesagt and YouTube educational channels.
