☕️Graduate Research Assistant
About Me
I’m Salman, an MSc student in astronomy at National Tsing Hua University (NTHU), supervised by Prof. Andrew P. Cooper, and a member of the DESI Milky Way Survey collaboration.
My current research focuses on near-field cosmology and galactic dynamics. I study stellar streams — the tidal debris of disrupted globular clusters and dwarf galaxies — using large photometric surveys and particle-spray simulations. These structures can help us better understand the Galaxy’s merger history and dark matter on small scales.
I earned my B.Sc. in Astronomy from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and, before returning to academia, built machine learning systems in industry. Starting December 2026, I will pursue my PhD at the University of Edinburgh with Prof. Sergey Koposov, focusing on dark matter substructure and the stellar halo of the Andromeda galaxy.
- Galactic archaeology
- Near-field cosmology
- High-performance computing and numerical simulation
- Machine learning, AI and statistics
- Image processing and computer vision
PhD in Astronomy
University of Edinburgh
MSc in Astronomy
National Tsing Hua University
BSc in Astronomy
Bandung Institute of Technology
I study the fossil record of the Milky Way: the stellar streams, disrupted globular clusters, and accreted dwarf galaxies that trace how our Galaxy came together. Using data from the DESI Milky Way Survey and galactic dynamics simulations, I look for tidal substructures in the halo and try to figure out where they came from.
Right now I’m using the particle-spray (Mock Stream) algorithm to detect tidal streams across the DESI Legacy Survey footprint, including tracing the LMS-1 stream and its globular clusters back to an ancient accretion event. More broadly, I’m curious how dark matter, both as a smooth halo and as clumpy subhalos, shapes the way stellar streams look and how easy they are to detect.
I recently listening to this on repeat if I need to step up the game
I’m calling on everyone to stop hunting and to help preserve the habitat of wild animals. I support the rights of Sumatran tigers and other endangered species to live alongside humans, not as a threat to them.
