Research

Research interest: Theoretical/computational Astrophysics & Plasma Physics (primary), Multiwavelength studies  of circumgalactic medium (secondary)

Summary: I work in theoretical/computational astrophysics and plasma physics with particular focus on magnetized, weakly collisional,  stratified astrophysical medium - fluid and kinetic description of such plasmas - including the detailed exploration of fluid and kinetic instabilities.  I also work in global problems in galaxy formation, specifically intracluster and circumgalactic medium, using hydrodynamics and magnetohydrodynamics. Currently, I am most interested in understanding and characterising plasma kinetic processes in the macroscopic galaxy formation context.  I carry out analytical calculations and idealized numerical simulations (fluid and kinetic) using high performance computing.  

Movies from simulations I have conceived, designed, and explored to study non-linear evolution of physical (fluid and plasma) processes:

Kinetic instabilities  |  Sound waves in the ICM  | Thermal instability

Primary projects that I have leading contributions on :

• Transport phenomena in presence of multiple kinetic instabilities in weakly collisional plasmas

• Latent thermal instability - how kinetic transport phenomena shows up in multiphase condensation

• How to model macroscopic sources of free energy and transport phenomena in diffuse,  magnetized plasmas with a sub-dominant fraction relativistic particles? Role of kinetic instabilities in transport and fluid closure

• How to produce "cold front" spirals in weakly magnetized clusters? Thermal MHD instabilities

• AGN feedback in cluster cores: what matters compressive or incompressive mode?

• Distinguishing the physical scenarios between isobaric and isochoric thermal instability: cloud shattering and length scales 

• Modeling intracluster and circumgalactic medium with a novel approach across redshifts and benchmarking key aspects of galaxy formation physics in the model  [PhD thesis component]

• Evolution of isobaric thermal instability in the galaxy cluster cores and cores of circumgalactic medium
  [PhD thesis component].     

DPhil projects of graduate students that I have contributions in at University of Oxford:

• Advective heat transport in weakly collisional ultra-high-beta plasmas (led by R. Davies)

• Resistivity in the weakly collisional plasmas (led by A. Banerjee)

Short-term undergraduate students' projects proposed by me (Part III Natural Sciences at University of Cambridge):

• Modeling self-consistent temperature dependent quasar mode feedback in cluster cores 

• Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the IGM filaments entering clusters

• G-mode turbulence triggered by jetted AGN feedback in clusters  

Contribution to the science case in clusters and groups of galaxies for AXIS - a probe class X-ray mission now selected for Phase A at NASA.

• Details of microphysics in the diffuse ICM/CGM using X-rays