Unravelling the mysteries of the Universe

Modern technologies have advanced our comprehension of the Universe by discovering the vast number of galaxies beyond our own, the existence of mysterious dark matter, and the accelerated pace at which the Universe expands. This extraordinary progress has motivated me to examine the intricate intersection of theories and observations, aiming to explore new frontiers of physics through innovative observational methods and computational tools.

In this lecture, I recount key milestones of my academic journey amidst the rapid evolution of cosmological paradigms, showcasing the remarkable achievements and unique challenges encountered in the Big Bang theory. I also delve into the observational exploration planned for the next decade at the forefront of cosmology, shedding light on potential avenues for the emergence of new physics.

WATCH THE INAUGURAL LECTURE HERE

Short biography

Prof Yin-Zhe Ma is finalising the establishment of the Chair in Computational Astronomy at Stellenbosch University (SU). He obtained his Physics bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University, a master’s degree from the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a PhD in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge. Having served as a national fellow of the Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA) at the University of British Columbia and a research associate at the University of Manchester, he joined the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2015 and was promoted to full professor in 2021. He was appointed to his current position at SU in 2023.

His research in the field of theoretical and computational astrophysics deepens our understanding of the fundamental laws of the Universe and uncovers the nature of dark energy and dark matter. Prof Ma has been leading South Africa’s participation in several international astronomy collaborations. These include the Square Kilometre Array (SKA), the MeerKAT telescope, the Planck science team, the Hydrogen Epoch Reionization Array (HERA), the CMB-S4 experiment, and the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. His publications, including over 130 papers, have earned him more than 29 000 citations. He was elected to the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) in 2022, and to the Royal Society of South Africa’s council in 2021 and 2023.