About me ​

I am just a foodie researching how black holes eat   

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Welcome to my homepage! I am an Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, India.

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My primary research interests centre around the study of compact objects, particularly focussing on the dynamics of accretion discs and temporal variability in black hole binary systems. My work involves simulations combining general relativity and magneto-hydrodynamics to investigate accretion discs around black holes. Through these simulations, my goal is to uncover the origins of various spectral-temporal variability observed in black hole binary systems, including phenomena such as "state-transitions," quasi-periodic oscillations, etc., and to explore their connections to the geometry of accretion discs.

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My fascination with accretion discs began with a semester project in my undergraduate studies at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, India, where I focused on solutions for standard Shakura-Sunyaev accretion discs. This interest persisted through my graduate studies and my time as a project assistant at the Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI) in India, where I contributed to research on transonic accretion flows and associated shocks in various general relativistic spacetimes. Later, during my PhD at the Nicolaus Copernicus Astronomical Center (CAMK) in Warsaw, Poland, I explored diverse topics, from simulating dwarf nova-type outbursts in white dwarf systems to conducting analytical calculations of neutron star atmospheres and GRMHD simulations of black hole accretion discs. My interest in the state-transition phenomena and other variability features in black hole X-ray binaries was kindled during a two-month program at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) Santa Barbara, where I served as a faculty affiliate. This interest has since driven my ongoing collaborations and research in GRMHD simulations. After completing my PhD, I secured an MPA fellowship for my first postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics (MPA), providing me with the perfect opportunity to broaden my knowledge and establish collaborations in other fields, particularly in Stellar Astronomy. Later, I joined the research group of Sasha Tchekhovskoy at the Center for Interdisciplinary Exploration and Research in Astrophysics (CIERA), Northwestern University as CIERA postdoctoral fellow. 

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Since my childhood, I have been captivated by science. I spent my after-school hours at home performing experiments from textbooks with my grandfather, deriving immense pleasure and joy from problem-solving. Ranking among the top three per cent of the four hundred thousand candidates in the all-India exam, IIT JEE 2009, allowed me to enrol in the then-recently established research institute, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Pune. This proved to be a turning point in my life, offering me the chance to pursue my interest in science. While at IISER, I had the opportunity to explore various fields, and although I ultimately pursued astronomy, I contemplated delving into neurobiology. In fact, my first research project involved DNA isolation and the study of the morphology of a specific fish species found in the rivers of Western India.