List of cosmologists

This is a list of people who have made noteworthy contributions to cosmology (the study of the history and large-scale structure of the universe) and their cosmological achievements.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

A

• Tom Abel (1970–) studied primordial star formation
• Roberto Abraham (1965–) studied the shapes of early galaxies
• Hannes Alfvén (1908–1995) theorized that galactic magnetic fields could be generated by plasma currents
• Ralph A. Alpher (1921–2007) argued that observed proportions of hydrogen and helium in the universe could be explained by the big bang model, predicted cosmic background radiation
• Aristarchus of Samos (310–230 BC) was an early proponent of heliocentrism
• Aristotle (circa 384–322 BC) posited a geocentric cosmology that was widely accepted for many centuries
• Aryabhata (476–550) described a geocentric model with slow and fast epicycles

B

• Ja'far ibn Muhammad Abu Ma'shar al-Balkhi (787–886) conveyed Aristotle's theories from Persia to Europe
• James M. Bardeen (1939–) studied the mathematics of black holes and of vacua under general relativity
• John D. Barrow (1952–) popularized the anthropic cosmological principle
• Charles L. Bennett (1956–) studied the large-scale structure of the universe by mapping irregularities in microwave background radiation
• Orfeu Bertolami (1959–) studied the cosmological constant, inflation, dark energy-dark matter unification and interaction, alternative gravity theories
• Somnath Bharadwaj studied large-scale structure formation
• James Binney (1950–) studied galactic dynamics and supernova disruption of galactic gasses
• Martin Bojowald (1973–) studied loop quantum gravity and established loop quantum cosmology
• Hermann Bondi (1919–2005) developed the steady-state model
• Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) promoted a geo-heliocentric system of epicycles
• Robert Brandenberger (1956–) formulated the theory of string gas cosmology, with colleague Cumrun Vafa, and developed cosmological perturbation theory

C

• Bernard J. Carr promoted the anthropic principle, studied primordial black holes
• Sean M. Carroll (1966–) researched dark energy, general relativity, and spontaneous inflation
• Peter Coles (1963–) modeled galactic clustering and authored several cosmology books
• C. B. Collins used the anthropic principle to solve the flatness problem
• Asantha Cooray (1973–) studied dark energy, halo models of large structure, and cosmic microwave radiation
• Nicolaus Copernicus (1473–1543) formulated a heliocentric cosmology

D

• Paul Davies (1946–) developed a vacuum model that explains microwave background fluctuation, studies time's arrow, and has written many popular-press books
• Marc Davis (astronomer) (1947–) was lead astronomer of a survey of 50,000 high-redshift galaxies
• Avishai Dekel (1951–) studied galaxy formation and large scale structure in dark matter-dark energy dominated universes
• Robert H. Dicke (1916–1997) measured background radiation, used an early version of the anthropic principle to relate the gravitational constant to the age of the universe
• Mike J. Disney (1937–) discovered low surface brightness galaxies

E

• Jürgen Ehlers (1929–2008) described gravitational lensing and studied the mathematical implications of an isotropic microwave background
• Jaan Einasto (1929–) studied structure in the large-scale distribution of superclusters of galaxies, early proponent of dark matter
• Albert Einstein (1879–1955) invented general relativity and the cosmological constant
• George F. R. Ellis (1939–) theorized a cylindrical steady-state universe with a naked singularity as recycling mechanism
• Richard S. Ellis (1950–) used gravitational lensing and high-redshift supernovae to study the origin of galaxies, large scale structure, and dark matter

F

• Sandra M. Faber (1944–) discovered the Great Attractor, a supercluster-scale gravitational anomaly; co-inventor of the theory of cold dark matter
• Carlos S. Frenk (1951–) studied cosmic structure formation
• Alexander Friedmann (1888–1925) discovered the expanding-universe solution to general relativity

G

• George Gamow (1904–1968) argued that observed proportions of hydrogen and helium in the universe could be explained by the big bang model, modeled the mass and radius of primordial galaxies
• Margaret J. Geller (1947-) discovered the Great Wall, a superstructure-scale filament of galaxies
• Thomas Gold (1920–2004) proposed the steady-state theory
• Gerson Goldhaber (1924–) used supernova observations to measure the energy density of the universe
• J. Richard Gott (1947–) proposed the use of cosmic strings for time travel
• Alan Guth (1947–) explained the isotropy of the universe by theorizing a phase of exponential inflation soon after the big bang

H

• Stephen W. Hawking (1942–) described singularities in general relativity and developed singularity-free models of the big bang; predicted primordial black holes
• Charles W. Hellaby described models of general relativity with nonconstant metric signature
• Michał Heller (1936–) researched noncommutative approaches to quantum relativity
• Robert C. Herman (1914–1997) predicted the background radiation temperature
• Lars Hernquist studied galaxy formation and evolution
• Honorius Augustodunensis (–1151) wrote a popular encyclopedia of cosmology, geography, and world history
• Hanns Hörbiger (1860–1931) formulated a pseudoscientific theory of ice as the basic substance of all cosmic processes
• Fred Hoyle (1915–2001) promoted the steady state theory, used the anthropic principle to explain the energy levels of carbon nuclei
• Edwin P. Hubble (1889–1953) demonstrated the existence of other galaxies and confirmed the relation between redshift and distance
• John P. Huchra (1948–) discovered the Great Wall, a superstructure-scale filament of galaxies

I

• Jamal Nazrul Islam (1939–2013) published seven books on Cosmology

K

• Ronald Kantowski discovered spatially homogeneous but anisotropic solutions to general relativity
• Johannes Kepler (1571–1630) pioneered heliocentrism, discovered elliptical planetary motion, attempted to explain heavenly motions through physical causes
• Isaak Markovich Khalatnikov (1919–) conjectured an oscillatory model with an essential singularity for the evolution of the universe
• Tom W. B. Kibble (1932-) introduced the concept of cosmic strings
• Robert Kirshner (1949–) discovered the Boötes void, a large region sparsely populated with galaxies, and wrote a popular book on cosmology
• Edward Kolb studied big bang cosmology including the emergence of baryons and dark matter, and wrote a popular textbook on cosmology
• Lawrence M. Krauss (1954-) author of popular science books on cosmology including A Universe from Nothing

L

• Ofer Lahav (1959–) studied dark matter and dark energy
• Tod R. Lauer (1957-) catalogued massive black holes at galaxy centers and correlated their mass with other properties of the galaxies' structures
• Georges Henri Lemaître (1894–1966) proposed the big bang theory and the distance-redshift relation
• Andrew R. Liddle (1965–) studied inflationary models, wrote two books on inflation and primordial inhomogeneities
• Evgeny M. Lifshitz (1915–1985) conjectured an oscillatory model with an essential singularity for the evolution of the universe
• Andrei Linde (1948–) pioneered inflationary models and proposed eternal chaotic inflation of universes from the false vacuum
• Abraham Loeb (1962–) researched primordial stars, primordial black holes, quasars, reionization, gravitational lensing, and gamma-ray bursts
• David H. Lyth studied particle cosmology, wrote two books on inflation and primordial inhomogeneities

M

• João Magueijo (1967–) proposed much faster speeds of light in the young universe as an alternative explanation to inflation for its homogeneity
• Richard Massey (1977–) mapped dark matter in the universe
• Charles W. Misner (1932–) studied solutions to general relativity including the mixmaster universe and Misner space, wrote influential text on gravitation
• John Moffat (1932–) proposed much faster speeds of light in the young universe, developed antisymmetric theories of gravity
• Lauro Moscardini modeled galaxy clustering in the early universe

N

• Jayant Narlikar (1938–) promoted steady state theories

P

• Thanu Padmanabhan (1957–) studied quantum gravity and quantum cosmology
• Leonard Parker established the study of quantum field theory within general relativity
• P. James E. Peebles (1935–) predicted cosmic background radiation, contributed to structure theory, developed models that avoid dark matter
• Roger Penrose (1931–) linked singularities to gravitational collapse, conjectured the nonexistence of naked singularities, and used gravitational entropy to explain homogeneity
• Arno Penzias (1933–) was the first to observe the cosmic background radiation
• Saul Perlmutter (1959–) used supernova observations to measure the expansion of the universe
• Mark M. Phillips (1951-) used supernova observations to discover acceleration in the expansion of the universe, calibrated the supernova distance scale
• Joel Primack (1945-) co-invented the theory of cold dark matter
• Ptolemy (90–168) wrote the only surviving ancient text on astronomy, conjectured a model of the universe as a set of nested spheres with epicycles

R

• Martin Rees (1942–) proposed that quasars are powered by black holes, disproved steady state by studying distribution of quasars
• Yoel Rephaeli used the distortion of the cosmic background by high-energy electrons to infer the existence of galaxy clusters
• Adam Riess (1969–) found evidence in supernova data that the expansion of the universe is accelerating and confirming dark energy models
• Wolfgang Rindler (1924-) coined the phrase "event horizon", Rindler Coordinates, and popularized the use of spinors (with Roger Penrose)
• Howard P. Robertson (1903–1961) solved the two-body problem in an approximation to general relativity, developed the standard model of general relativity
• Vera Rubin (1928–) discovered discrepancies in galactic rotation rates leading to the theory of dark matter

S

• Rainer K. Sachs (1932–) discovered gravitationally induced redshifts in the cosmic background radiation
• Allan Sandage (1936–2010) set the cosmological distance scale and accurately estimated the speed of expansion of the universe
• Brian P. Schmidt (1967–) used supernova data to measure the acceleration in the expansion of the universe
• David N. Schramm (1945–1997) was an expert on big bang theory and an early proponent of dark matter
• Dennis W. Sciama (1926–1999) studied many aspects of cosmology and supervised many other leading cosmologists
• Seleucus of Seleucia (c.190 BC–) used tidal observations to support a heliocentric model
• Roman Ulrich Sexl (1939–1986) developed an ether-based theory of absolute simultaneity that is mathematically equivalent to special relativity
• Al-Sijzi (c.945–1020) invented an astrolabe based on heliocentric principles
• Joseph Silk (1942-) explained the homogeneity of the early universe using photon diffusion damping
• Willem de Sitter (1872–1934) developed a theory of dark matter with Einstein, found an expanding matterless solution to general relativity
• Lee Smolin (1955–) studied quantum gravity, popularized a theory of cosmological natural selection
• George F. Smoot (1945–) used Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite to measure the temperature and anisotropy of the early universe
• David N. Spergel (1961–) used Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe satellite to measure the temperature and anisotropy of the early universe
• Paul Steinhardt (1952-) pioneered inflationary cosmology, introduced first example of eternal inflation, introduced quintessential dark energy, introduced the concept of strongly self-interacting dark matter, studied brane cosmology and cyclic models of the universe
• Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903–986) identified the large Magellanic cloud and made the first recorded observation of the Andromeda galaxy
• Nicholas B. Suntzeff (1952-) used supernova observations to discover acceleration in the expansion of the universe, calibrated the supernova distance scale
• Rashid Sunyaev (1943–) developed a theory of density fluctuations in the early universe, described how to use cosmic background distortion to observe large-scale density fluctuations
• Brian Swimme (1950–) wrote four books on religious aspects of cosmology

T

• Max Tegmark (1967–) determined the parameters of the lambda-cold dark matter model using Sloan Survey data, studied mathematical models of multiverses
• William G. Tifft theorized that galactic redshifts are quantized
• Beatrice Tinsley (1941–1981) researched galactic evolution, the creation of lightweight elements, and accelerated expansion of the universe
• Frank J. Tipler (1947–) proved that time travel requires singularities, promoted the anthropic principle
• Richard C. Tolman (1881–1948) showed that the cosmic background keeps a black-body profile as the universe expands
• Trinh Xuan Thuan (1948–) researched galaxy formation and evolution
• Mark Trodden (1968–) studied cosmological implications of topological defects in field theories
• Michael S. Turner (1949-) coined the term dark energy
• Neil Turok (1958–) predicted correlations between polarization and temperature anisotropy in the cosmic background, explained the big bang as a brane collision
• Henry Tye (1947–) proposed brane-antibrane interactions as a cause of inflation

V

• Alexander Vilenkin (1949-) showed that eternal inflation is generic, studied cosmic strings, theorized the creation of the universe from quantum fluctuations

W

• Robert M. Wald (1947–) wrote a popular text on general relativity, studied the thermodynamics of black holes
• Arthur Geoffrey Walker (1909–2001) developed the standard model of general relativity and studied the mathematics of relativistic reference frames
• David Wands studied inflation, superstrings, and density perturbations in the early universe
• Yun Wang (1964–) uses supernova and galactic redshift data to probe dark energy
• Jeffrey Weeks (1956-) used cosmic background patterns to determine the topology of the universe
• Simon D. White (1951–) studied galaxy formation in the lambda-cold dark matter model
• David Todd Wilkinson (1935–2002) used satellite probes to measure the cosmic background radiation
• Edward L. Wright (1947-) promoted big bang theories, studied the effect of dust absorption on measurements of the cosmic background

Z

• Yakov Borisovich Zel'dovich (1914–1987) used accretion disks of massive black holes to explain quasars, predicted Compton scattering of the cosmic background
• Fritz Zwicky (1898–1974) along with Walter Baade coined the term "supernova", contributions in understanding neutron stars, supernovae as standard candles, gravitational lensing, and dark matter.

See also

• Timeline of cosmology