I am a Computational Physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. I work on advancing the state of the art in large-scale multi-physics simulation, in particular developing high-performance code for magnetohydrodynamics simulations. I am also interested in simulating quantum systems in cosmology, such as fuzzy dark matter.
I develop a variety of new robust, high-performance methods for computational physics. My PhD thesis was completed at Harvard University with my advisor Lars Hernquist on moving mesh magnetohydrodynamics and applications to cosmology and star formation. As part of that work, I invented a new accurate method for solving the magnetohydrodynamic equations on a moving-mesh, which I implemented in the Arepo code. The method preserves mass, momentum, energy, the divergence-free property of the magnetic fields, and Galilean-invariance (exact advection).
I have broad interests in multi-physics simulations, cosmology, galaxy evolution, black hole physics, turbulence, numerical methods, computer visualization, and machine learning/AI.
I grew up in Hawaii and I love the outdoors.
Download my curriculum vitae (CV) [.pdf]
Galaxy Formation with BECDM - II. Cosmic Filaments and First Galaxies
Mocz, P.; Fialkov, A.; Vogelsberger, M.; Becerra, F.; Shen, X.; Robles, V.H.; Amin, M.A.; Zavala, J.; Boylan-Kolchin, M.; Bose, S.; Marinacci, F.; Chavanis, P.H.; Lancaster, K.; Hernquist, L.; 2021 MNRAS, 494, 2027
First star-forming structures in fuzzy cosmic filaments
Mocz, P.; Fialkov A.; Vogelsberger, M.; Becerra, F.; Amin, M.A.; Bose, S.; Boylan-Kolchin, M.; Chavanis, P.H.; Hernquist, L.; Lancaster, L.; Marinacci, M.; Robles, V.H.; Zavala, J; 2019 Phys. Rev. Lett. (Editors' Selection) 123, 14
Fuzzy Dark Matter Soliton Cores around Supermassive Black Holes
Davies, E.Y.; Mocz, P.; 2020 MNRAS, 492, 5721
A Markov model for non-lognormal density distributions in compressive isothermal turbulence
Mocz, P.; Burkhart, B.; 2019 ApJL, 884, 2
Formation, Gravitational Clustering and Interactions of Non-relativistic Solitons in an Expanding Universe
Amin, M.; Mocz, P.; 2019 Phys. Rev. D, 100, 6
Heating of Milky Way disc stars by dark matter fluctuations in cold dark matter and fuzzy dark matter paradigms
Church, B.; Mocz, P.; Ostriker, J.P.; 2019 MNRAS, 485, 2861
Star formation from dense shocked regions in supersonic isothermal magnetoturbulence
Mocz, P.; Burkhart, B.; 2018 MNRAS, 480, 3916
On the Schrodinger-Poisson--Vlasov-Poisson correspondence
Mocz, P.; Lancaster, L.; Fialkov A.; Becerra, F.; Chavanis, P.H.; 2018 PhRvD, 97, 3519
Galaxy Formation with BECDM - I. Turbulence and relaxation of idealised haloes
Mocz, P.; Vogelsberger, M.; Robles, V.; Zavala J.; Boylan-Kolchin, M.; Fialkov A.; Hernquist, L.; 2017 MNRAS, 471, 4559
Moving mesh simulations of star forming cores in magneto-gravo-turbulence
Mocz, P.; Burkhart, B.; Hernquist, L.; McKee, C.; Springel, V.; 2017 ApJ, 838, 1
~100 line Python tutorials for computational astro https://philip-mocz.medium.com/
Check out the collection at http://april1arxiv.github.io
PAVOREAL (PArellel VOlume REndering ALgorithm) on GPUs
Explore the shock structure in the Euler and MHD Riemann problems
Paper on my simulations of a cosmic-ray pressure gradient instability in a turbulent MHD environment at a shock interface, as part of my project for Astronomy 253 (plasma physics). Read the report (.pdf) and download the Matlab code
Bayesian nested sampling fitting of exoplanet radial velocity curve with 2 planets
A simple introduction (.pdf) to smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH), and writing your own code
Einstein & Spitzer Fellow
Philip Mocz pronounced: