Wits Centre for Astrophysics

The Wits Centre for Astrophysics carries out leading research across the electromagnetic spectrum and using multi-messenger probes, including gravitational wave and neutrino astrophysics, and dark matter direct detection. Our research interests span a broad range of fields, from exploding stars in our own Galaxy, to accreting supermassive black holes and the shadows they cast, and the evolution of galaxies across cosmic time. We use observatories as varied as our research themes, from orbiting satellites like Fermi to undersea neutrino observatories like KM3NeT, to networks of antennas spread across the Earth like the Event Horizon Telescope. Closer to home, we are active users of South Africa's MeerKAT telescope, as well as the Southern African Large Telescope in Sutherland, and the High Energy Spectroscopic System in Namibia. We play leadership roles in next-generation telescopes, including the Square Kilometre Array and Cherenkov Telescope Array. The Wits CfA has a wide range of observational, theoretical, software, and instrumental experience, with an emphasis on the interconnect between. We actively pursue artificial intelligence enhancement of our research to stay at forefront of the data-intensive astronomy era.