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Smadar Naoz is a professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at UCLA, holding the Howard Astrid Preston Chair in Astrophysics. Her research encompasses a broad range of theoretical astrophysics topics, particularly focusing on dynamical problems in cosmology related to black holes, gravitational wave sources, stars, and extrasolar planets. Naoz's main research subject derives from her Ph.D. work on the generation of galaxies and 21cm fluctuations in the early universe. She has proposed a new mechanism for the formation of Jupiter-like planets in close proximity to their host stars, which involves triple-body interactions—an area that has opened new avenues of inquiry in dynamical astrophysics. Recent studies have shown that these triple-body systems are far more complex and intriguing than previously understood, with applications spanning a diverse range of astrophysical phenomena. Naoz has held prestigious positions such as an Einstein Fellow at the ITC and an IAU Gruber postdoctoral fellow at Northwestern University’s CIERA. She completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at Tel Aviv University under the supervision of Rennan Barkana, and previously earned her master's degree at the Racah Institute of Physics at The Hebrew University under the mentorship of Nir Shaviv.
University of California, Los Angeles • Los Angeles, CA
Teaching and conducting research in the field of astrophysics.
Department of Economics admits primarily for the PhD program.