I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics & Astronomy, The University of Oklahoma. I work on the kinematics and dynamics of galaxies, combining physical models, statistics and scientific software to measure circular and non-circular motions in gaseous disks with integral-field and interferometric 3D spectroscopy.
I was born and raised in Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico, and obtained my MSc and PhD in astrophysics at the Instituto de Astronomía of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (IA-UNAM), working on galactic winds and jets with Dr. Sebastián F. Sánchez. In 2021 I joined the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA) in Taiwan as a Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellow, and in 2025 I moved to the University of Oklahoma.
I develop and maintain open-source software for kinematic modelling, most notably XookSuut and XookSuut3D, which are used across several surveys and research projects. I also enjoy teaching and mentoring students on galaxy dynamics and star formation.
Research interests
Galaxy kinematics
Rotation curves, non-axisymmetric motions, bar-driven flows and the dynamical evolution of disks.
Gas flows & feedback
Outflows driven by star formation and black holes; the warm and cold phases of the ISM.
3D spectroscopy
IFU surveys (MUSE, MaNGA, CALIFA) and interferometric cubes from ALMA and the VLA.
Scientific software
Bayesian and least-squares modelling of velocity maps and spectral-line datacubes.
Collaborations
CALIFA · SDSS-IV MaNGA · ALMaQUEST · EDGE-CALIFA · AMUSING · KILOGAS · GECKOS
Contact
Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy
440 W. Brooks St., Norman, OK 73019, USA
calopez@ou.edu (institutional) · carlos.lopezcoba@gmail.com (personal)