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Arun Kannawadi Jayaraman

Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Physics
Physics
120 Science Drive, Phy 097, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


My research field is Cosmology, the study of origin and evolution of the Universe. I am interested in answering the questions about the distribution of (dark) matter in the Universe, also known as the large-scale structure and using it to understand the contents (dark matter and dark energy) of the Universe. I study the matter distribution using a technique called Weak Gravitational Lensing.

On a day-to-day basis, I work on image processing pipelines and algorithms that work at raw pixel-level data to extract useful information from millions (soon to be billions) of galaxies namely galaxy fluxes (and colors) and shapes.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Physics · 2023 - Present Physics, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

In the News


Published October 29, 2025
Don’t Look Up, Space is Filled With Junk
Published June 26, 2025
Duke Cosmologists Celebrate the First Images of the Vera Rubin Observatory
Published December 23, 2023
Unexpected cosmic clumping could disprove our best understanding of the universe

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Recent Publications


OpenUniverse2024: A shared, simulated view of the sky for the next generation of cosmological surveys

Journal Article Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society · December 1, 2025 The OpenUniverse2024 simulation suite is a cross-collaboration effort to produce matched simulated imaging for multiple surveys as they would observe a common simulated sky. Both the simulated data and associated tools used to produce it are intended to un ... Full text Cite

Identification and Photometric Classification of Extragalactic Transients in the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Data Preview 1

Journal Article The Astrophysical Journal Letters · November 20, 2025 Abstract The Vera C. Rubin Observatory will soon survey the southern sky, delivering a depth and sky coverage that is unprecedented in time-domain astronomy. As part of commissioning, ... Full text Cite

First Data Release of the Merian Survey: A Wide-field Imaging Survey of Dwarf Galaxies at z  ∼ 0.06–0.10

Journal Article The Astrophysical Journal · November 1, 2025 Abstract We present an overview of the Merian Survey and its forthcoming first data release (DR1), an optical imaging survey optimized for studying bright-star-forming dwarf galaxies. ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Research in High Energy Physics at Duke University

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by Department of Energy · 2013 - 2028

Building Pipelines for Pixel-Level Measurement and Analysis with Rubin Observatory LSST Data to Enhance Roman Science

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Aeronautics and Space Administration · 2025 - 2027

Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Dark Energy Science Collaboration

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Stanford University · 2024 - 2026

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Education, Training & Certifications


Carnegie Mellon University · 2016 Ph.D.
Carnegie Mellon University · 2013 M.S.