Andrew P. Cooper

About

Andrew P. Cooper is a leading astrophysicist whose research focuses on dark energy, large-scale structure, and the evolution of galaxies. He is best known for his central role in the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI), a Stage IV ground-based experiment designed to unravel the mysteries of cosmic acceleration. Cooper’s major contributions include instrument design and the development of robotic fiber-positioning systems that enable DESI to simultaneously capture spectra from 5,000 galaxies, a technological leap that powers the survey’s unprecedented efficiency. His most-cited work, “The DESI Experiment Part II: Instrument Design” (2016), has garnered over 230 citations, underscoring its foundational impact on observational cosmology. More recently, his 2022 overview of DESI instrumentation details the survey’s five-year mission to map 40 million galaxies and quasars, using baryon acoustic oscillations to measure cosmic distances with exquisite precision. Cooper’s efforts are pivotal to advancing our understanding of dark energy and the growth of cosmic structure, making him a key figure in modern astrophysical instrumentation and survey science.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   The DESI Experiment Part II: Instrument Design

   234 citations · 2016
2. 2
   Overview of the Instrumentation for the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument

   10 citations · 2022

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links