Lina Necib

Lina Necib is an Assistant Professor of Physics at MIT, specializing in theoretical astroparticle physics. Her research focuses on using Galactic dynamics to study Dark Matter properties, leveraging cosmological simulations, stellar catalogs, and machine learning. She discovered the Nyx structure in the Milky Way and contributed to catalogs of accreted stars. Affiliated with the Kavli Institute for Astrophysics & Space Research, she holds a PhD from MIT (2017) and postdoctoral fellowships at Caltech, UC Irvine, and Carnegie Observatories. Her work bridges astrophysics and particle physics, with applications to direct detection experiments.

Educational Background:

• B.A. Mathematics & Physics, Boston University, 2012
• PhD Theoretical Physics, MIT, 2017 (advisor: Jesse Thaler)

Research Interests: Dark Matter dynamics, Galactic structure analysis via Gaia satellite data, collider physics methods for Dark Matter detection, and hydrodynamic simulations (FIRE, Eris, Illustris). Her work on Nyx and stellar streams has advanced our understanding of the Milky Way's dark matter halo. She explores Dark Matter models like 'Boosted Dark Matter' and their detectability in neutrino experiments.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2024 Sloan Research Fellow
• 2024 NSF Early Career Award
• 2023 George E. Valley, Jr. Prize (APS)

Grants & Advising: Recipient of major grants (NSF, Sloan), advises students on Dark Matter projects. Collaborates with实验 physicists to translate astrophysical results into experimental frameworks. Hosts the Necib Research Group at MIT.

Labs & Teams: Leads a team focused on integrating observational data and simulations to map Dark Matter in the Milky Way. Collaborates with global astronomy and particle physics communities via projects like Gaia and SDSS.