Nhat-Minh Nguyen, PhD

Astrophysicist, Cosmologist, Leinweber Research Fellow

Research Interest

Growth of Large-scale Structure in the Universe.

Scientific Expertise

Field-level, forward-modeling of large-scale galaxy redshift surveys (galaxy clustering, galaxy intrinsic shape alignment); Cosmic microwave background radiation (gravitational lensing, Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effects)

Domain Knowledge

Skills

Bayesian inference with explicit likelihood (hierachical models, advanced sampling methods); Simulation-based inference with implicit likelihood (AI/ML methods for density estimation); Large-scale, high-performance computing; Big-data analysis

Experience

Python [Numpy, Scipy, TensorFlow, JAX, PyTorch, Dask], C++, Fortran, ROOT [pyROOT], OpenMP Parallel, MPI Distributed & Differentiable Programming [Python,C++,Fortran]

Affiliation

Jan 2022 - now Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Leinweber Prize Fellowship
Physics Department, University of Michigan

Jul 2020 - Dec 2021 Postdoctoral Research Associate
Physical Cosmology Group, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics

Oct 2016 - Jun 2020 PhD Candidate
Physical Cosmology Group, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics

Education

2016 - 2020, PhD International Max Planck Research School on Astrophysics (Magna Cum Laude)
Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching near Munich
Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich

2014 - 2016, MSc Erasmus Joint Master Degree in Astronomy & Astrophysics (with full-ride Scholarships)
University of Göttingen
University of Rome, Tor Vergata
University of Innsbruck

2008 - 2013, BSc Physics and Theoretical Physics (with Honors and Scholarships)
Ho Chi Minh University of Science

Collaboration

Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time - Dark Energy Science Collaboration (LSST-DESC), Aquila Consortium

Publications

I have authored 10 publications, excluding big-collaboration papers (citations: 193; h-index: 8) [NASA/ADS]; 13 publications, including big-collaboration papers (citations: 259; h-index: 11) [NASA/ADS].

First, co-first, or second author (with equal or significant contributions)

2024 How much information can be extracted from galaxy clustering at the field level?. Nguyen$^1$, Schmidt, Tucci, Reinecke, Kostić. arXiv preprint. Submitted to PRL. [NASA/ADS]

2023 Sweeping through Horndeski Canvas: a New Growth-Rate Parameterization for Modified-Gravity Theories. Wen$^1$, Nguyen$^1$, Huterer. JCAP09(2023)028. [NASA/ADS]

2023 Evidence for suppression of structure growth in the concordance cosmological model. Nguyen$^1$, Huterer, Wen.Phys. Rev. Lett. 131, 111001. Editor’s Suggestion. [NASA/ADS]

2022 Consistency tests of field level inference with the EFT likelihood. Kostić$^1$, Nguyen$^1$, Schmidt, Reinecke. JCAP07(2023)063. [NASA/ADS]

2021 Field-level inference of galaxy intrinsic alignment from the SDSS-III BOSS survey. Tsaprazi$^1$, Nguyen$^1$, et al. JCAP08(2022)003. [NASA/ADS]

2021 Impacts of the physical data model on the forward inference of initial conditions from biased tracers. Nguyen et al. JCAP03(2021)058. [NASA/ADS]

2020 Taking measurements of the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel’dovich effect forward: including uncertainties from velocity reconstruction with forward modeling. Nguyen et al. JCAP12(2020)011. [NASA/ADS]

Co-author

2024 A parameter-masked mock data challenge for beyond-2pt galaxy clustering statistics. Beyond-2point Collaboration. arXiv preprint. To be submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.

2024 DESI 2024 VI: Cosmological Constraints from the Measurements of Baryon Acoustic Oscillations. DESI Collaboration. arXiv preprint. Submitted to JCAP. [NASA/ADS]

2024 DESI 2024 IV: Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from the Lyman Alpha Forest. DESI Collaboration. arXiv preprint. Submitted to JCAP. [NASA/ADS]

2024 DESI 2024 III: Baryon Acoustic Oscillations from Galaxies and Quasars. DESI Collaboration. arXiv preprint. Submitted to JCAP. [NASA/ADS]

2023 Exploring the Growth Index γL: Insights from Different CMB Dataset Combinations and Approaches. Specogna et al. Phys. Rev. D 109, 043528. [NASA/ADS]

2019 Cosmology Inference from Biased Tracers using the EFT-based Likelihood. Elsner et al. JCAP01(2020)029. [NASA/ADS]

2018 A rigorous EFT-based forward model for large-scale structure. Schmidt et al. JCAP01(2019)042. [NASA/ADS]

Languages

English (Fluent), Vietnamese (Native)

Recent Talks & Visits

• PASCOS 2024, Plenary Session, Quy Nhon, Vietnam, July 2024.
• DESI Research Forum, remote, June 2024.
• Aspen workshop, “Fundamental Physics in the Era of Big Data and Machine Learning”, May-June 2024.
• KIPAC Cosmology Seminar, Stanford (remote), May 2024.
• Fundamental Physics from Future Spectroscopic Surveys, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, May 2024.
• Cosmology Talks (with Beyond-2point Collaboration), Youtube, May 2024.
• Columbia Cosmology Group Meeting, Columbia University, New York, April 2024.
• CCA Cosmology Meeting, Flatiron Institute, New York, April 2024.
• Cosmology Talks (ft. Beatriz Tucci), Youtube, April 2024.
• Newcastle Journal club, Newcastle University (remote, slides), April 2024.
• Perimeter Cosmology Seminar, Perimeter Institute (remote, recording), April 2024.
• Midwest Cosmology Network Meeting, US Midwest (remote), April 2024.
• Cosmolunch, CCAPP, University of Ohio (slides), March 2024.
• HEP-Astro Seminar, University of Michigan, Michigan, January 2024.
• Cosmology from Home, online conference and Youtube, July 2023.
• CD3 Opening Symposium, Kavli IPMU, Kashiwa-no-ha, April 2023.
• Future Science with CMB x LSS workshop, YITP (session recording, slides), Kyoto, April 2023.
• Cosmology Talks, Youtube, Mar 2023.
• TACOS Seminar, Arizona Cosmology Lab, University of Arizona, February 2023. (During the “Beyond 2-point data challenge” workshop.)
• Aspen workshop, “Large-Scale Structure Cosmology beyond 2-Point Statistics”, May-June 2022. (Blackboard talk)
• Astro Lunch Seminar, Kavli IPMU, May 2022.
• KIPAC Cosmology Seminar, Stanford, May 2022.
• Berkeley Cosmology Group Seminar, BCCP, Berkeley, April 2022.
• NYU-CCA Cosmology x Data Science Meeting, New York University-Flatiron Institute (remote), March 2021.
• OPINAS Group Meeting, Max-Planck-Institut für extraterrestrische Physik (remote), March 2021.
• Cosmology & Gravitation Group Meeting, Oskar Klein Centre (remote), February 2021.
• “The Origin and Evolution of Large-Scale Structure” Science Afternoon, Excellence Cluster ORIGINS (remote), February 2021.
• CosmoLunch meeting, Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton (remote), January 2021.
• Universe Journal Club, Institut d’astrophysique de Paris (remote), December 2020.
• Cosmology Seminar, Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik (remote), December 2020..
• Astroparticle Physics Seminar, SISSA (remote), December 2020.
• Cosmology Group Meeting, Perimeter Institute (remote), December 2020.
• Cosmology Seminar, University of Manchester (remote), December 2020.

Mentoring, Advising and Teaching

Mentoring

• Carter Matties (Undergraduate student, University of Michigan).
• Andrja Kostić (Research Scientist, DeepL), co-mentored.

Advising on a research project

• Eleni Tsaprazi (Postdoc, Imperial College London).
• Andrew Hope (UROP student, University of Michigan). Otho Lyle Tiffany & Mary Lois Tiffany Fellow 2024.
• Kyle Lee (UROP student, University of Michigan).
• Disha Saxena (UROP student, University of Michigan).
• Kasey Thai (UROP student, University of Michigan).

Teaching

Summer 2024 Michigan Math and Science Scholars, course lecturer, “Climbing the Distance Ladder to the Big Bang: How astronomers survey the Universe.”

Summer 2023 Michigan Math and Science Scholars, guest lecturer.

Popular Science Writings

2024 Tín hiệu mới từ vũ trụ? DESI và manh mối mới về năng lượng tối, Tia Sang Magazine.

2023 Growing in molasses: Cosmic large-scale structure caught growing slower than expected, Science X Dialog, Phys.org.

2023 Đi tìm những tín hiệu mới từ vũ trụ, Tia Sang Magazine.

Activities

Professional Community Service

2023 Michigan Cosmology Summer School 2023, Local Organizing Committee member.

2021-now Active referee for Astronomy & Astrophysics (A&A, EDP Sciences), Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (JCAP, IOP) & Physical Review D (PRD, APS).

Professional Institute and Group Service

2021-2022 VLLT Joint Astronomy & Physics Seminar Series (for junior graduate and senior undergraduate students in Physics & Astronomy in Vietnam), founder and co-organizer.

2022-now Cosmology Journal Club and Cosmology & Astrophysics Seminar (University of Michigan), founder & main organizer.

2020-2021 Cosmology Book Club (Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics), founder & main organizer.

2018-2020 Large-scale Structure Journal Club (joint between Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics and Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics), co-organizer.

Social & Outreach

Summer 2023 Ask-Me-Anything (Reddit), r/askscience and Youtube, Cosmology from Home 2023, panelist.

2022-now Institute Social Coffee (Leinweber Center for Theoretical Physics), founder & co-organizer.

2022-now Skype a Scientist (science outreach and interview with students of all ages and backgrounds in the US), scientist participant.

Fall 2023 Physicists To-Go (similar to Skype-a-Scientist and organized by APS), scientist participant.

Fall 2023 Science Communication Fellows (science outreach demonstrations and presentations at Michigan local museums and libraries), scientist participant.

References

Dr. Fabian Schmidt, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (PhD advisor) Email

Prof. Dragan Huterer, University of Michigan (postdoc advisor) Email

Prof. Elisabeth Krause, University of Arizona (external collaborator) Email

Prof. Jens Jasche, University of Stockholm (external collaborator) Email

Prof. Elisa G. M. Ferreira, Kavli IPMU, University of Tokyo (previous colleague) Email

Prof. Eiichiro Komatsu, Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA director, formal PhD advisor) Email