Established in July 2023 under the School of Physics, the Institute for Astronomy at Zhejiang University marks the formal consolidation and ambitious growth of astronomy research that began with the strategic recruitment of leading scholars in 2019. Led by its inaugural director, Qiushi Distinguished Professor Kang Xi, the Institute is home to a dynamic team of ten faculty members, including three Qiushi Distinguished Professors and multiple recipients of prestigious national grants for early-career scientists.
Our research spans the frontiers of modern astrophysics, with focused expertise in four interconnected areas: galaxy formation and cosmology, high-energy astrophysics, exoplanets and planet formation, and laboratory astrophysics. This work is driven by a philosophy of tackling fundamental questions through a combination of theoretical insight, advanced simulation, and multi-wavelength observation.
Faculty and researchers at the Institute regularly publish high-impact findings in the world’s leading journals. Our contributions range from revolutionizing theories of planet formation and uncovering the intricate feedback mechanisms between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies, to providing key observational evidence for the origins of exotic stellar explosions and developing groundbreaking computational methods. This consistent productivity demonstrates our role at the forefront of international astrophysical inquiry.
This research is supported by robust national funding, including major grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and key national R&D programs, with total secured funding exceeding 20 million RMB. To empower data- and computation-intensive discovery, the Institute operates the dedicated Silk River high-performance heterogeneous computing cluster. With 2.1 Petaflops of double-precision computing power, 138 TB of memory, and 16 PB of storage, it provides a formidable in-house resource for simulation and data analysis.
The Institute for Astronomy is committed to excellence in research, innovation, and the training of the next generation of astrophysicists. We actively seek collaborative partnerships and welcome inquiries from prospective students, postdoctoral researchers, and scientific colleagues worldwide.
