Research Bio
Chung-Pei Ma is a professor in the Department of Physics and the Department of Astronomy. Her primary research interests are in theoretical cosmology and astrophysics. Among the topics she has studied include the properties of dark matter and dark energy, the cosmic microwave background, gravitational lensing, galaxy formation and evolution, supermassive black holes, and the large-scale structure of the universe. She occasionally manages to climb out of the dark and lumpy universe; during these sunny moments (or rather, moonless nights), she has enjoyed collaborations with observers in studying properties of galaxies using telescopes at Palomar and Keck.
Research Expertise and Interest
astrophysics, black hole, dark matter, cosmology, formation and evolution of galaxies, cosmic microwave background radiation
In the News
After 15 Years, Pulsar Timing Yields Evidence of Cosmic Gravitational Wave Background
Six Berkeley Faculty Members Elected to National Academy of Sciences
Three Faculty Named 2022 Fellows of American Astronomical Society
Nine faculty elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Supermassive black holes may be lurking everywhere in the universe
A near-record supermassive black hole discovered in a sparse area of the local universe indicate that these monster objects — this one equal to 17 billion suns — may be more common than once thought, according to UC Berkeley astronomers.
Record massive black holes discovered lurking in monster galaxies
UC Berkeley astronomer Chung-Pei Ma, graduate student Nicholas McConnell and colleagues have discovered the largest black holes to date ‑- two monsters with masses equivalent to 10 billion suns that are threatening to consume anything, even light, within a region five times the size of our solar system.