Niayesh Afshordi

Niayesh Afshordi profile picture
University of Waterloo
Research Associate Faculty
Areas of research:
Cosmology
Quantum Gravity
Strong Gravity
+1 519-888-4567
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/personal/nafshordi/
If you are interested in pursuing a MSc degree, please apply to the Perimeter Scholars International (PSI) masters program. If you are interested in working with me as a PhD student, please submit an application directly to my department at the University of Waterloo and indicate that you would like to be supervised by me. Perimeter Institute is committed to diversity within its community and I welcome applications from underrepresented groups.
Astrophysics, Cosmology, Physics of Gravity, Dark Energy, Dark Matter, Clusters of Galaxies, Structure Formation, Accretion Disks, Cosmic Microwave Background, Missing Baryons, Quantum Field Theory, Quantum Gravity, Lorentz Violation, Black Holes, Neutron Stars, Early Universe, Primordial Magnetic Field, Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, Gravitational Wave Astronomy, Pulsar Timing, COVID-19 Epidemiology, Medical Physics and Radiotherapy
  • Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, 2022-present
  • Associate Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, 2015-2022
  • Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Waterloo, 2009-2015
  • Postdoctoral Researcher, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 2007-2009
  • ITC Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Theory and Computation (ITC), Harvard College Observatory, Harvard University, 2004-2007
  • Graduate Student, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 2000-2004
  • Interdisciplinary Trailblazer Fund "Quantum Spacetime in the Cosmos: From Conception to Reality", University of Waterloo, 2022-2024
  • HQP Pooled Resources Competition, Arthur B. McDonald Institute, 2021-2022
  • Discovery Grant "Novel Astrophysical Windows into Fundamental Physics: From Big Bang to Black Holes, and the Dark Universe", Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), 2020-2025
  • Buchalter Cosmology Prize, 1st Place, Dr. Ari Buchalter, 2019
  • Buchalter Cosmology Prize, 3rd Place, Dr. Ari Buchalter, 2015
  • Early Researcher Award, Ministry of Research and Innovation, Province of Ontario, Canada, 2011
  • Professor M. K. Vainu Bappu Gold Medal 2008, Astronomical Society of India, 2008
  • Wen, R. Y., Hergt, L. T., Afshordi, N., & Scott, D. (2024). A glitch in gravity: cosmic Lorentz-violation from fiery Big Bang to glacial heat death. arxiv:2412.09568v1
  • Yang, J., Afshordi, N., Torabian, M., Jafari, S. A., & Baskaran, G. (2024). Smart Holes: Analogue black holes with the right temperature and entropy.
  • Sajadian, S., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Simulating Self-lensing and Eclipsing Signals due to Detached Compact Objects in the TESS Light Curves. The Astronomical Journal, 168(6), 298. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ad7fdd
  • Liu, R., Quintin, J., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Complex Powerballs: Conformal Cores of Quantum Black Holes in Quadratic Gravity. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2411.19311
  • Dailey, C., Schnetter, E., & Afshordi, N. (n.d.). Formulating the complete initial boundary value problem in numerical relativity to model black hole echoes. Classical and Quantum Gravity. doi:10.1088/1361-6382/ad9701
  • Abolfath, R., Afshordi, N., Rahvar, S., van Duin, A. C. T., Rädler, M., Taleei, R., . . . Mohan, R. (2024). A molecular dynamics simulation framework for investigating ionizing radiation-induced nano-bubble interactions at ultra-high dose rates. The European Physical Journal D, 78(11), 141. doi:10.1140/epjd/s10053-024-00928-1
  • Afshordi, N., Ashtekar, A., Barausse, E., Berti, E., Brito, R., Buoninfante, L., . . . Wald, R. M. (2024). Black Holes Inside and Out 2024: visions for the future of black hole physics. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2410.14414
  • Friedman-Shaw, B., Krolewski, A., Foglieni, M., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Doppler bias: impact of peculiar velocities on color selection and the large scale structure of galaxy surveys. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2410.04705
  • Dailey, C., Schnetter, E., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Formulating the complete initial boundary value problem in numerical relativity to model black hole echoes. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2409.17970
  • Sajadian, S., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Simulating Self-Lensing and Eclipsing Signals due to Detached Compact Objects in the TESS Light Curves. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2409.12441
  • Goel, L., Patterson, E. A., Preciado-Rivas, M. R., Torabian, M., Mann, R. B., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Accelerated detector in a superposed spacetime. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2409.06818
  • Li, Y., Liu, R., Dailey, C., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Detecting cosmological scalar fields using orbital networks of quantum sensors. Physical Review D, 110(4), 043028. doi:10.1103/physrevd.110.043028
  • Mylova, M., & Afshordi, N. (n.d.). Effective cuscuton theory. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2024(4), 144. doi:10.1007/jhep04(2024)144
  • Abolfath, R., Afshordi, N., Rahvar, S., van Duin, A., Radler, M., Taleei, R., . . . Mohan, R. (2024). A molecular dynamics simulation of the abrupt changes in the thermodynamic properties of water after formation of nano-bubbles / nano-cavities induced by passage of charged particles. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2403.05880
  • Wen, R. Y., Hergt, L. T., Afshordi, N., & Scott, D. (2024). A cosmic glitch in gravity. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2024(03), 045. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2024/03/045
  • Dey, R., Micchi, L. F. L., Mukherjee, S., & Afshordi, N. (2024). Spectrogram correlated stacking: A novel time-frequency domain analysis of the stochastic gravitational wave background. Physical Review D, 109(2), 023029. doi:10.1103/physrevd.109.023029
  • Wu, D., Gao, P., Ren, J., & Afshordi, N. (2023). Model-independent search for the quasinormal modes of gravitational wave echoes. Physical Review D, 108(12), 124006. doi:10.1103/physrevd.108.124006
  • Mylova, M., & Afshordi, N. (2023). Effective Cuscuton Theory. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2312.06066
  • Li, Y., Liu, R., Dailey, C., & Afshordi, N. (2023). Detecting cosmological scalar fields using orbital networks of quantum sensors. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2311.17873
  • LISA Consortium Waveform Working Group., Afshordi, N., Akçay, S., Seoane, P. A., Antonelli, A., Aurrekoetxea, J. C., . . . Vañó-Viñuales, A. (2023). Waveform Modelling for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2311.01300
  • Dailey, C., Afshordi, N., & Schnetter, E. (2023). Reflecting boundary conditions in numerical relativity as a model for black hole echoes. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 40(19), 195007. doi:10.1088/1361-6382/acde2f
  • Abedi, J., Micchi, L. F. L., & Afshordi, N. (2023). GW190521: Search for echoes due to stimulated Hawking radiation from black holes. Physical Review D, 108(4), 044047. doi:10.1103/physrevd.108.044047
  • Wu, D., Gao, P., Ren, J., & Afshordi, N. (2023). Model-independent search for the quasinormal modes of gravitational wave echoes. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2308.01017
  • Oshita, N., & Afshordi, N. (2023). From entropy to echoes: Counting the quasi-normal modes and the quantum limit of silence. Physics Letters B, 841, 137901. doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2023.137901
  • Chen, A. Y., & Afshordi, N. (2023). Outskirts of dark matter haloes. Physical Review D, 107(10), 103526. doi:10.1103/physrevd.107.103526
  • Borissova, J. N., Held, A., & Afshordi, N. (2023). Scale-invariance at the core of quantum black holes. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 40(7), 075011. doi:10.1088/1361-6382/acbc60
  • Afshordi, N., & Magueijo, J. (2022). Lower bound on the cosmological constant from the classicality of the early Universe. Physical Review D, 106(12), 123518. doi:10.1103/physrevd.106.123518
  • Arun, K. G., Belgacem, E., Benkel, R., Bernard, L., Berti, E., Bertone, G., . . . Zumalacárregui, M. (2022). New horizons for fundamental physics with LISA. Living Reviews in Relativity, 25(1), 4. doi:10.1007/s41114-022-00036-9
  • Yang, T., Hudson, M. J., & Afshordi, N. (2022). A universal profile for stacked filaments from cold dark matter simulations. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 516(4), 6041-6054. doi:10.1093/mnras/stac2564
  • Robbins, M. P. G., Afshordi, N., Jamison, A. O., & Mann, R. B. (2022). Detection of gravitational waves using parametric resonance in Bose–Einstein condensates. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 39(17), 175009. doi:10.1088/1361-6382/ac7b05
  • Mylova, M., Moschou, M., Afshordi, N., & Magueijo, J. (2022). Non-Gaussian signatures of a thermal Big Bang. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2022(07), 005. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2022/07/005
  • Abolfath, R., Baikalov, A., Bartzsch, S., Afshordi, N., & Mohan, R. (2022). The effect of non-ionizing excitations on the diffusion of ion species and inter-track correlations in FLASH ultra-high dose rate radiotherapy. Physics in Medicine and Biology, 67(10), 105005. doi:10.1088/1361-6560/ac69a6
  • Saraswat, K., & Afshordi, N. (n.d.). Spacing statistics of energy spectra: random matrices, black hole thermalization, and echoes. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2022(4), 17. doi:10.1007/jhep04(2022)017
  • Afshordi, N., P. Holder, B., Bahrami, M., & Lichtblau, D. (2022). Diverse Local Epidemics Reveal the Distinct Effects of Population Density, Demographics, Climate, Depletion of Susceptibles, and Intervention in the First Wave of COVID-19 in the United States. In Mathematics of Public Health (Vol. 85, pp. 1-23). Springer Nature. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-85053-1_1
  • Conklin, R. S., & Afshordi, N. (2021). Boltzmann Meets Lorentz: A Surrogate Model for Black Hole Echoes. doi:10.48550/arxiv.2201.00027
  • Chua, W. Z., & Afshordi, N. (2021). Electromagnetic albedo of Quantum Black Holes. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(7), 6. doi:10.1007/jhep07(2021)006
  • Oshita, N., Afshordi, N., & Mukohyama, S. (2021). Lifshitz scaling, ringing black holes, and superradiance. Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics, 2021(05), 005. doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2021/05/005
  • Afshordi, N., Zheng, J., Olalekan Koiki, S., Holder, B., Bahrami, M., & Lichtblau, D. (2021). My Local COVID: History, Forecast and Mitigation Portal. http://mylocalcovid.uwaterloo.ca/
  • Micchi, L. F. L., Afshordi, N., & Chirenti, C. (2021). How loud are echoes from exotic compact objects?. Physical Review D, 103(4), 044028. doi:10.1103/physrevd.103.044028
  • Saraswat, K., & Afshordi, N. (2021). Extracting Hawking radiation near the horizon of AdS black holes. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(2), 77. doi:10.1007/jhep02(2021)077
  • Adshead, P., Afshordi, N., Dimastrogiovanni, E., Fasiello, M., Lim, E. A., & Tasinato, G. (2021). Multimessenger cosmology: Correlating cosmic microwave background and stochastic gravitational wave background measurements. Physical Review D, 103(2), 023532. doi:10.1103/physrevd.103.023532
  • Imaging Quantum Black Holes & (Towards) Optimal Estimators of Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background, Tsinghua University's first Relativity conference, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, 2024/07/24
  • Quantum Spacetime in the Sky: From the horizon to horizon, Beijing Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, Beijing, China, 2024/07/22, Video URL
  • Quantum Black Holes in the Sky, The Event Horizon and Beyond, Celebrating 50 years of Narayan, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States, 2024/06/12
  • The Big Picture, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 2024/04/15
  • Quantum Spacetime in the Sky: from the horizon to the vacuum, Heising-Simons Foundation (HSF) Collaboration on Quantum Gravity and Its Observational Signatures (QuRIOS), Virtual Journal Club, 2024/04/10
  • Precision Quantum Cosmology, Gravity and Cosmology 2024 https://www2.yukawa.kyoto-u.ac.jp/~gc2024/index.php, Yukawa Institute for Theoretical Physics, Kyoto, Japapn, 2024/02/20
  • Quantum Spacetime in the Sky, Bottom-Up Cross-Cutting Workshop “JENAS Initiative: Gravitational Wave Probes of Fundamental Physics” 12-16 Feb, 2024, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, 2024/02/13
  • Quantum Spacetime in the Sky: From Conception to Reality, International Symposium on Recent Developments in Relativistic Astrophysics, Dec 11-13, 2023, Sikkim University, Gangtok, India, 2023/12/13
  • Quantum Spacetime and the Cosmic Endgame, Physics Colloquium, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada, 2023/11/24
  • New Vistas in Gravitational Wave Astronomy, CASCA 2023 https://casca2023.ok.ubc.ca/, University of British Columbia, Okanagen, 2023/06/13
  • A Tale of Stars and Sirens, Strauss Lupton Fest, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton University, Princeton, United States, 2023/06/06
  • Spectrogram correlated stacking: A novel time-frequency domain analysis of the Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background, Cosmology and Gravitation, 2023/04/24, PIRSA:23040163
  • The Big Picture, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 2023/04/15
  • Precision Quantum Cosmology, Testing Gravity 2023 https://www.sfu.ca/physics/cosmology/TestingGravity2023/, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, Canada, 2023/01/21
  • Quantum Spacetime in the Cosmos: The Endgame, University of British Columbia, Physics and Astronomy, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada, 2023/01/16
  • Fundamental Physics vs. Fundamentalism, HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY & SOCIOLOGY OF COSMOLOGY and AS- TROPARTICLE PHYSICS CONFERENCE, Bonn, 2022/06/01
  • Stimulating Hawking Radiation of Gravitational Waves: From Theory to Observations, Quantum Simulations of Fundamental Physics, Virtual series, 2022/04/01
  • Stimulating Hawking Radiation of Gravitational Waves: From Theory to Observations, New horizons for (no-)horizon physics: from gauge to gravity and back, Galileo Galilei Institute, Florence, Italy, 2022/04/01
  • Einstein vs. Einstein: The Great War, Invited Cosmo Coffee Seminar, CERN, Switzerland, 2022/01/01