Leah Bigwood

I am a final year PhD student at the Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge (and sometimes also found at Peyton Hall, Princeton University)

I enjoy working at the intersection between astrophysics and cosmology, learning how to disentangle the impact of galaxy formation physics on our cosmological measurements.

My Work

Weak lensing + the kSZ effect: a study of baryonic feedback

Constrained the impact of baryon feedback on the large-scale matter distribution using WL+kSZ, finding evidence of a more suppressed matter power spectrum than predicted by cosmological simulations.

The case for large-scale AGN feedback in galaxy formation simulations: insights from XFABLE

Developed a new AGN feedback model explicitly calibrated to reproduce stronger feedback scenarios while maintaining agreement with key multi-wavelength observations.

The kSZ effect as a benchmark for AGN feedback models in hydrodynamical simulations: insights from DESI + ACT

Established the kSZ effect as a benchmark for feedback models and found that most recent simulations under-predict gas ejection compared to DESI kSZ measurements.

Confronting cosmic shear astrophysical uncertainties: DES Year 3 revisited

Demonstrated that astrophysical models calibrated with spectroscopic, X-ray and kSZ observations deliver x2 more precise cosmological constraints than the DES WL modeling approach.

Full publication list