Thomas Berlok

Thomas Berlok is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, specializing in theoretical astrophysics with a focus on plasma physics in galaxy clusters. He maintains dual affiliations with the Astrophysics and Planetary Research group and DARK (a center for cosmology and particle astrophysics). His research bridges plasma physics and astrophysics, examining how magnetic fields influence thermal processes in the intracluster medium.

Dr. Berlok's primary research interests include:

• Plasma physics in galaxy clusters and the intracluster medium
• Magnetic field dynamics and instabilities
• Thermal conductivity and transport processes in weakly collisional plasmas
• Numerical simulations of astrophysical phenomena
• Composition gradients and element sedimentation in clusters
• Development of computational tools for cosmological simulations

His recent work (2024-2025) has focused on magnetothermal instability suppression through whistler waves, anisotropic velocity fluctuations as magnetic field probes, and magnetic dynamos in galaxy clusters. Berlok has made significant contributions to understanding how magnetic fields affect heat transport in the intracluster medium, with his 2021 paper on suppressed heat conductivity accumulating 18 Scopus citations. He has also developed computational tools including the Paicos Python package for analyzing cosmological simulations.

Dr. Berlok completed his PhD at the Niels Bohr Institute in 2017 with a thesis titled "Weakly Collisional and Collisionless Astrophysical Plasmas." His research combines theoretical analysis with sophisticated numerical simulations, maintaining collaborations with researchers at institutions including the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam.