I am an Assistant Professor in the Astronomy department of UC San Diego in La Jolla, California since fall 2024, where I am currently building my research group in Gravitational Wave Paleontology.

Before joining UCSD, I was a Junior Fellow of the Simons Society of Fellows (2023–2024), hosted at Columbia University and the Simons Foundation in New York City. I obtained my Ph.D. in Astrophysics in 2023 from Harvard University via the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and I have dual Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and in Physics & Astronomy from the University of Amsterdam (2017), with an exchange in Applied Mathematics at Lund University.

Research

My research focuses on Gravitational Wave Paleontology — using gravitational wave observations of merging black holes and neutron stars as fossils to study the evolutionary history of massive stars. This involves:

• Building and comparing large theoretical populations of double compact object binaries using rapid stellar evolution codes (e.g., COMPAS)
• Developing statistical and machine-learning methods to efficiently compare models with gravitational wave data
• Investigating how stellar physics (winds, mass transfer, supernovae) shapes the observed properties of mergers detected by LIGO/Virgo/KAGRA
• Preparing for next-generation detectors: the Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer

I co-founded the SMASH Initiative at UCSD — a cross-disciplinary effort between the Astronomy, Physics, and Data Science departments and the San Diego Supercomputer Center.

Community

I care deeply about creating an inclusive and supportive environment for early-career astronomers. I founded an early-career astronomer support community, organize workshops and career-development resources, and am active in mentorship and outreach. More information can be found on the UCSD ECA Workshops page.

Outside of work

When not doing astronomy, I enjoy hiking and trail running in the mountains, playing volleyball, cycling, juggling, and exploring local bakeries.

Contact

Office: SERF 407, 9500 Gilman Dr #0417, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
Email: fbroekgaarden [at] ucsd.edu

Photos

Teaching a COMPAS demo at the Saas-Fee Ph.D. school in 2022