Structure formation: Cosmological structure formation is a complex, highly nonlinear process leading to gravitationally bound objects across an enormous range of scales. To first approximation, structures form via the gravitational interaction of matter in an expanding universe, where tiny overdensities first grow linearly, collapse, and virialise to form quasi static objects called haloes.

My research is centered on structure formation within different cosmological scenarios, where I use analytical models as well as large supercomputer simulations to follow the complex nonlinear behavior.


Astro-particle physics: In spite of extensive experimental and theoretical work, the nature of the dark matter particles is still completely unknown. From an astrophysical point of view, it is therefore important to study the influence of different dark matter candidates on gravitational collapse and the formation of structures. A comparison with observations can shed light on the nature of dark matter.

I am studying different dark matter scenarios and their effects on cosmology and galaxy formation. This includes cold, composite, interacting, sterile neutrino, or ultra-light bosonic dark matter to name a few.


Code Comparison Project: I am involved in the code comparison project initiated by the Cosmological Simulation Working Group of the Euclid Consortium. More information can be found here

Contact
Aurel Schneider
Center for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology
Institute for Computational Science
University of Zurich

Irchel Campus
Building Y11, Floor F

Email
aurel.schneider@uzh.ch