Annika Peter

Annika Peter is a Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Ohio State University (OSU), affiliated with both the Physics and Astronomy departments since 2013. She leads research at the intersection of particle physics and astronomy, focusing on dark matter's role in cosmic structure. Her work includes theoretical modeling of dark matter distributions, simulations on Ohio Supercomputer Center's Pitzer cluster, and observational studies using the Rubin Observatory. She co-convenes the Dark Matter Working Group within the Dark Energy Science Collaboration.

Education

• Ph.D. 2008, Physics, Princeton University
• B.S. 2002, Physics and Astronomy, University of Washington

Research Interests
Her research investigates dark matter’s microphysics, galaxy formation, and environmental impacts on dwarf galaxies. Key areas include self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) dynamics, satellite galaxy populations, and gravitational lensing probes. She employs simulations to study SIDM’s gravothermal catastrophe and observational surveys like the LBT-SONG and Merian projects to uncover low-surface-brightness galaxies and their dark matter halos.

Recent Work Trends
Recent articles emphasize SIDM simulations, Rubin Observatory collaborations, and dwarf galaxy environments. Topics include solar gamma-ray observations, galaxy velocity analyses, and SIDM’s impact on subhalo evolution. These studies aim to bridge astrophysical observations and particle physics constraints.

Grants & Advising
Her group utilizes the CCAPP compute condo for high-performance simulations. She mentors students in computational astrophysics and observational projects, though specific advisee names are not listed. Collaborations include the Dark Energy Science Collaboration and the DECam Local Volume Exploration Survey.

Labs/Teams
Affiliated with the Center for Cosmology and AstroParticle Physics (CCAPP) at OSU, focusing on dark matter and large-scale structure research.