Kev Abazajian
@abazajian.net
Father, husband, particle astrophysicist, Professor of Physics & Astronomy. In public service as Chair of the City of Irvine Sustainability Commission & through the Democratic Party.
Views are my own. repost ≠ endorsement
https://physics.uci.edu/~kevork
Views are my own. repost ≠ endorsement
https://physics.uci.edu/~kevork
Congratulations to Dr. Helena García Escudero in successfully defending her PhD dissertation today at UCI Department of Physics & Astronomy, titled “ΛCDM and Beyond: Neutrinos and the Puzzle of Cosmological Tensions.”
#ucirvine #academia #physics #cosmology
#ucirvine #academia #physics #cosmology
November 21, 2025 at 12:04 AM
Congratulations to Dr. Helena García Escudero in successfully defending her PhD dissertation today at UCI Department of Physics & Astronomy, titled “ΛCDM and Beyond: Neutrinos and the Puzzle of Cosmological Tensions.”
#ucirvine #academia #physics #cosmology
#ucirvine #academia #physics #cosmology
The asymmetry is caused by the steeply falling mass function: there are many more smaller galaxies to upscatter into your sample (upper orange curves) than there are larger galaxies to downscatter into it (lower orange curves).
November 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
The asymmetry is caused by the steeply falling mass function: there are many more smaller galaxies to upscatter into your sample (upper orange curves) than there are larger galaxies to downscatter into it (lower orange curves).
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has discovered massive galaxies at 37 Glyr away, when the Universe was ~1% of its age. Galaxy formation appears at odds with the efficiencies of making such galaxies at beyond 100% (solid purple line)
there are outs ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2511.13708
🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
there are outs ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2511.13708
🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
November 18, 2025 at 3:55 PM
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has discovered massive galaxies at 37 Glyr away, when the Universe was ~1% of its age. Galaxy formation appears at odds with the efficiencies of making such galaxies at beyond 100% (solid purple line)
there are outs ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2511.13708
🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
there are outs ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2511.13708
🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
First paper submission today for #UCIrvine graduate fellow Jay Krishnan! There is much interest in NASA's James Webb Space Telescope potentially showing early galaxy formation as incompatible with standard cosmology and structure formation
#astronomy #astrophysics #cosmology 🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
#astronomy #astrophysics #cosmology 🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
November 17, 2025 at 7:24 PM
First paper submission today for #UCIrvine graduate fellow Jay Krishnan! There is much interest in NASA's James Webb Space Telescope potentially showing early galaxy formation as incompatible with standard cosmology and structure formation
#astronomy #astrophysics #cosmology 🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
#astronomy #astrophysics #cosmology 🔭 ⚛️ #academicsky
🔥 Climate change is making wildfire risks in Irvine very real. Join us Oct 30, 6–7:30 p.m. at City Hall for Wildfire Ready Irvine—learn how to harden your home & protect our community. RSVP: shorturl.at/Am72D
— Chair, Irvine Sustainability Commission
#Irvine #WildfireReady #ClimateAction
— Chair, Irvine Sustainability Commission
#Irvine #WildfireReady #ClimateAction
October 20, 2025 at 3:59 AM
🔥 Climate change is making wildfire risks in Irvine very real. Join us Oct 30, 6–7:30 p.m. at City Hall for Wildfire Ready Irvine—learn how to harden your home & protect our community. RSVP: shorturl.at/Am72D
— Chair, Irvine Sustainability Commission
#Irvine #WildfireReady #ClimateAction
— Chair, Irvine Sustainability Commission
#Irvine #WildfireReady #ClimateAction
The Hubble tension may connect to short-baseline neutrino anomalies. Work led by #UCIrvine grad fellow Helena García Escudero shows baryon acoustic oscillations allow extra massive neutrinos—relaxing constraints and linking both puzzles. #cosmology #neutrinos ⚛️ 🔭
arxiv.org/abs/2509.25478
arxiv.org/abs/2509.25478
October 1, 2025 at 5:37 AM
The Hubble tension may connect to short-baseline neutrino anomalies. Work led by #UCIrvine grad fellow Helena García Escudero shows baryon acoustic oscillations allow extra massive neutrinos—relaxing constraints and linking both puzzles. #cosmology #neutrinos ⚛️ 🔭
arxiv.org/abs/2509.25478
arxiv.org/abs/2509.25478
Fun to work out with #UCIrvine graduate fellow Helena García Escudero the details of why extra, sterile neutrinos are preferred (!!) by cosmology when adopting the local Cepheid measurement of the Hubble expansion rate. ⚛️ 🔭 #cosmology #neutrinos #particlephysics #hubbletension
September 29, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Fun to work out with #UCIrvine graduate fellow Helena García Escudero the details of why extra, sterile neutrinos are preferred (!!) by cosmology when adopting the local Cepheid measurement of the Hubble expansion rate. ⚛️ 🔭 #cosmology #neutrinos #particlephysics #hubbletension
Our new paper with Cannon Vogel & Helena García Escudero shows vector-mediated NSI can’t produce sterile neutrino dark matter—ruled out by lab + structure data. But scalar NSI and low reheating models are still in the game!
➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2509.05631
#darkmatter #cosmology #particlephysics ⚛️ 🔭
➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2509.05631
#darkmatter #cosmology #particlephysics ⚛️ 🔭
September 9, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Our new paper with Cannon Vogel & Helena García Escudero shows vector-mediated NSI can’t produce sterile neutrino dark matter—ruled out by lab + structure data. But scalar NSI and low reheating models are still in the game!
➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2509.05631
#darkmatter #cosmology #particlephysics ⚛️ 🔭
➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2509.05631
#darkmatter #cosmology #particlephysics ⚛️ 🔭
Congratulations to Dr. Cannon Vogel, who successfully defended his PhD dissertation today at #UCIrvine. He has become one of the top handful of people expert in warm dark matter production in the early Universe, and the linear cosmological structure arising from it. 🧪 ⚛️ 🔭
August 28, 2025 at 12:14 AM
Congratulations to Dr. Cannon Vogel, who successfully defended his PhD dissertation today at #UCIrvine. He has become one of the top handful of people expert in warm dark matter production in the early Universe, and the linear cosmological structure arising from it. 🧪 ⚛️ 🔭
How Newsom's California redistricting affects OC & Irvine:
CD 40 (Kim): +10.8 R ➡️ +19.6 R
CD 45 (Tran): +2 R ➡️ +2.4 D
CD 46 (Correa): +19.2 D ➡️ +15 D
CD 47 (Min): +0.6 R ➡️ +5.2 D
CD 49 (Levin): +0.8 D ➡️ +4.2 D
Robert Garcia's district (42) moves to OC:
CD 42 (Garcia): +33.4 D ➡️ +6.8 D
CD 40 (Kim): +10.8 R ➡️ +19.6 R
CD 45 (Tran): +2 R ➡️ +2.4 D
CD 46 (Correa): +19.2 D ➡️ +15 D
CD 47 (Min): +0.6 R ➡️ +5.2 D
CD 49 (Levin): +0.8 D ➡️ +4.2 D
Robert Garcia's district (42) moves to OC:
CD 42 (Garcia): +33.4 D ➡️ +6.8 D
August 16, 2025 at 5:50 PM
How Newsom's California redistricting affects OC & Irvine:
CD 40 (Kim): +10.8 R ➡️ +19.6 R
CD 45 (Tran): +2 R ➡️ +2.4 D
CD 46 (Correa): +19.2 D ➡️ +15 D
CD 47 (Min): +0.6 R ➡️ +5.2 D
CD 49 (Levin): +0.8 D ➡️ +4.2 D
Robert Garcia's district (42) moves to OC:
CD 42 (Garcia): +33.4 D ➡️ +6.8 D
CD 40 (Kim): +10.8 R ➡️ +19.6 R
CD 45 (Tran): +2 R ➡️ +2.4 D
CD 46 (Correa): +19.2 D ➡️ +15 D
CD 47 (Min): +0.6 R ➡️ +5.2 D
CD 49 (Levin): +0.8 D ➡️ +4.2 D
Robert Garcia's district (42) moves to OC:
CD 42 (Garcia): +33.4 D ➡️ +6.8 D
In a paper posted today, led by #UCIrvine PhD student Cannon Vogel, we showed that the newly-allowed large cosmological lepton numbers at early times open up a new regime of sterile neutrino dark matter production.
Full paper ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2507.18752
#particlephysics #cosmology #astrophysics 🔭 ⚛️
Full paper ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2507.18752
#particlephysics #cosmology #astrophysics 🔭 ⚛️
July 28, 2025 at 4:54 PM
In a paper posted today, led by #UCIrvine PhD student Cannon Vogel, we showed that the newly-allowed large cosmological lepton numbers at early times open up a new regime of sterile neutrino dark matter production.
Full paper ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2507.18752
#particlephysics #cosmology #astrophysics 🔭 ⚛️
Full paper ➡️ arxiv.org/abs/2507.18752
#particlephysics #cosmology #astrophysics 🔭 ⚛️
Statement from DOE & NSF
July 11, 2025 at 9:14 PM
Statement from DOE & NSF
Proud to share that the University of California systemwide Academic Senate has officially passed a resolution opposing Trellix surveillance software that is being mandated on faculty computers.
👉 senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/repor...
#AcademicFreedom #UniversityOfCalifornia #UCIrvine
👉 senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/repor...
#AcademicFreedom #UniversityOfCalifornia #UCIrvine
July 5, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Proud to share that the University of California systemwide Academic Senate has officially passed a resolution opposing Trellix surveillance software that is being mandated on faculty computers.
👉 senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/repor...
#AcademicFreedom #UniversityOfCalifornia #UCIrvine
👉 senate.universityofcalifornia.edu/_files/repor...
#AcademicFreedom #UniversityOfCalifornia #UCIrvine
UC Irvine and SoCalGas propose blending hydrogen into natural gas lines—but hydrogen will never replace natural gas as a heating fuel. Why? It’s over 3x less efficient than electric heat pumps and poses serious safety risks.
👉 open.substack.com/pub/drkev/p/...
#ClimateAction #UCIrvine #CleanEnergy
👉 open.substack.com/pub/drkev/p/...
#ClimateAction #UCIrvine #CleanEnergy
July 2, 2025 at 1:12 AM
UC Irvine and SoCalGas propose blending hydrogen into natural gas lines—but hydrogen will never replace natural gas as a heating fuel. Why? It’s over 3x less efficient than electric heat pumps and poses serious safety risks.
👉 open.substack.com/pub/drkev/p/...
#ClimateAction #UCIrvine #CleanEnergy
👉 open.substack.com/pub/drkev/p/...
#ClimateAction #UCIrvine #CleanEnergy
My comments to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in-person public forum today on the proposed hydrogen & natural gas blending project at #UCIrvine
#stopfossilfuels #climatechange #climatecrisis
#stopfossilfuels #climatechange #climatecrisis
July 1, 2025 at 8:20 PM
My comments to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in-person public forum today on the proposed hydrogen & natural gas blending project at #UCIrvine
#stopfossilfuels #climatechange #climatecrisis
#stopfossilfuels #climatechange #climatecrisis
You have my support, Senator Padilla @padilla.senate.gov
June 12, 2025 at 10:47 PM
You have my support, Senator Padilla @padilla.senate.gov
“We are at a time where we are at the height & at the most vulnerable for science. We have to be our own best protagonists. Make sure we are engaged.” — Sudip Parikh, CEO & Executive Publisher, Science Journals, at today’s induction ceremony for @aaas.org Fellows ⚛️ 🧪
www.aaas.org/resources/sp...
www.aaas.org/resources/sp...
June 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
“We are at a time where we are at the height & at the most vulnerable for science. We have to be our own best protagonists. Make sure we are engaged.” — Sudip Parikh, CEO & Executive Publisher, Science Journals, at today’s induction ceremony for @aaas.org Fellows ⚛️ 🧪
www.aaas.org/resources/sp...
www.aaas.org/resources/sp...
Dave Min went from fellow parent of a preschooler—and fellow Professor at #UCIrvine —to a Member of Congress. He’s doing an outstanding job—defending our democracy, standing up for #Armenians in their ancestral homeland, and supporting America’s leadership in science. ⚛️ 🧪
June 7, 2025 at 1:09 AM
Dave Min went from fellow parent of a preschooler—and fellow Professor at #UCIrvine —to a Member of Congress. He’s doing an outstanding job—defending our democracy, standing up for #Armenians in their ancestral homeland, and supporting America’s leadership in science. ⚛️ 🧪
Nobel Prize Laureate Kip Thorne speaking yesterday at the Albert Einstein Institute in Postdam, Germany:
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
June 4, 2025 at 9:03 PM
Nobel Prize Laureate Kip Thorne speaking yesterday at the Albert Einstein Institute in Postdam, Germany:
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
"Donald Trump is destroying America's capacity for [leading science]. We are counting on Europe to take over here and elsewhere." ⚛️ 🧪
Rep. Dave Min gives a sobering assessment of the federal government’s support for science and education, tonight at a town hall at #UCIrvine ⚛️ 🧪
UCI leadership reported that over $40m in grants have been cancelled & a massive slowdown in new awards at 40% of that previously @daveminca.bsky.social
UCI leadership reported that over $40m in grants have been cancelled & a massive slowdown in new awards at 40% of that previously @daveminca.bsky.social
May 30, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Rep. Dave Min gives a sobering assessment of the federal government’s support for science and education, tonight at a town hall at #UCIrvine ⚛️ 🧪
UCI leadership reported that over $40m in grants have been cancelled & a massive slowdown in new awards at 40% of that previously @daveminca.bsky.social
UCI leadership reported that over $40m in grants have been cancelled & a massive slowdown in new awards at 40% of that previously @daveminca.bsky.social
A view of the Astronomy Tower of the Sorbonne (Tour d’Astronomie de la Sorbonne) with Notre Dame in the background.
The observatory was built between 1885 and 1901, atop the Sorbonne & remains in use today for public observations and educational purposes.
#astronomy
The observatory was built between 1885 and 1901, atop the Sorbonne & remains in use today for public observations and educational purposes.
#astronomy
May 13, 2025 at 4:03 PM
A view of the Astronomy Tower of the Sorbonne (Tour d’Astronomie de la Sorbonne) with Notre Dame in the background.
The observatory was built between 1885 and 1901, atop the Sorbonne & remains in use today for public observations and educational purposes.
#astronomy
The observatory was built between 1885 and 1901, atop the Sorbonne & remains in use today for public observations and educational purposes.
#astronomy
Great spot for an international program on dark matter and neutrinos
(I got there early. The hall was filled later! 😅)
indico.math.cnrs.fr/event/12305/...
#physics #neutrinos #darkmatter #particlephysics #cosmology
(I got there early. The hall was filled later! 😅)
indico.math.cnrs.fr/event/12305/...
#physics #neutrinos #darkmatter #particlephysics #cosmology
May 12, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Great spot for an international program on dark matter and neutrinos
(I got there early. The hall was filled later! 😅)
indico.math.cnrs.fr/event/12305/...
#physics #neutrinos #darkmatter #particlephysics #cosmology
(I got there early. The hall was filled later! 😅)
indico.math.cnrs.fr/event/12305/...
#physics #neutrinos #darkmatter #particlephysics #cosmology