Phil Hopkins

Phil Hopkins is a faculty member in the Theoretical Astrophysics group (TAPIR) at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), within the Division of Physics, Math, and Astronomy. His research focuses on the formation of galaxies, stars, planets, and black holes, alongside studies in astrophysical fluid dynamics, plasma physics, and cosmology. He actively advises graduate students and collaborates with institutions globally through initiatives like the “Galaxies on FIRE” collaboration.

Research Interests:

• Galaxy evolution and dynamics
• Stellar and planetary formation processes
• Black hole accretion and feedback mechanisms
• High-energy astrophysical phenomena
• Cosmological simulations and dark matter interactions

Advising & Collaborations:

• Current students include Nadine Soliman, Sam Ponnada, Yash Tomar, and others in Astronomy/Physics.
• Recent alumni include faculty at institutions like UC Davis, Harvard, and MIT.
• Collaborators span institutions such as Harvard, Princeton, UC Berkeley, and international partners like the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh.

Labs & Teams: Leads the TAPIR group, which develops computational tools like GIZMO for astrophysical simulations. Active in multi-institutional projects such as the FIRE collaboration.