Matt McQuinn

Matt McQuinn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Washington, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences. His research focuses on theoretical astrophysics and cosmology, particularly the intergalactic medium (IGM), large-scale structure formation, and the circumgalactic medium (CGM). He investigates cosmic reionization, galaxy evolution, and the impact of dark matter on astrophysical phenomena.

Research Interests:

• Cosmology and Intergalactic/Intragalactic Medium Dynamics
• Fast Radio Burst (FRB) Scattering and Dispersion Measures
• Dark Matter Physics and Axion Models
• Hydrodynamic Simulations and Radiative Transfer
• Circumgalactic Medium Line Emission and UV Observations

Key Projects:

• Developing semi-analytic models for Lyman-alpha forest statistics.
• Studying IGM temperature-density relations and reionization effects.
• Using FRBs to probe CGM structure and dark matter substructures.
• Designing instrumentation like the Maratus CubeSat for CGM mapping.

Grants and Collaborations:

His work involves collaborations with institutions like the Institute for Nuclear Theory (UW), NASA missions, and international telescopes (e.g., VLT, JWST). Research is supported by grants focused on cosmological hydrodynamics and observational astrophysics.

Labs and Teams:

McQuinn leads a research group at UW, mentoring students/postdocs in computational astrophysics and observational techniques. His team contributes to projects like the COS-Halos collaboration and analyses from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS).