The Hong Kong Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics (HKIAA) and the Department of Physics at The University of Hong Kong (HKU) are delighted to welcome new faculty member Prof. Yihan Wang, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Full Member of the HKIAA. Prior to joining HKU, Prof. Wang was a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, having completed his PhD in Physics at Stony Brook University. His arrival brings valuable expertise to further enhance HKU’s research capacity and collaborative network in high-energy and theoretical astrophysics.
Prof. Wang’s research centres on theoretical and computational astrophysics, with a focus on the fundamental dynamics of few-body gravitational systems in dense environments, explosive transients, and multi-messenger sources. In particular, Prof. Wang investigates how stellar and compact-object populations evolve within active galactic nucleus (AGN) accretion disks to generate gravitational-wave signals and energetic nuclear transients. To support these studies, he has developed high-performance computational tools such as SpaceHub and VegasAfterglow for N-body integration and modelling gamma-ray burst afterglows.
“At HKU Department of Physics and HKIAA, I look forward to establishing dynamic research programmes, mentoring students, and fostering cross-institutional collaborations in theoretical and computational astrophysics,” says Prof. Wang.
We look forward to Prof. Wang’s contributions to our research community and wish him every success in his new role.