Ph.D. (Physics)- 1982. State University of New York at Stony
Brook, U.S.A.
Post-doctoral fellow. 1982-1984.
Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, U.S.A.
Assistant Professor. 1984-1986. Department of Astronomy,
University of Virginia, U.S.A.
At IISc, Bangalore since 1987. Professor since 2002.
Academic coordinator, Joint Astronomy Programme, IISc (1994-2000, May 2007 - October 2011)
Awards and Honours
• Prof. S. K. Chatterjee Award of IISc (2012)
• Elected Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, Allahabad (2011)
• Elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore (2007)
• University of Bombay Prize (1974) for First Rank in the University in B.Sc.
(Physics-Mathematics)
• National Science Talent Scholarship by NCERT (1971)- special selection in Mathematics
Other Professional Recognitions
• Appointed as the Chief Editor of the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy
published by the Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, from January
2010
• Elected Member of the Organizing Committee of the International Astronomical
Union IAU Commision 28 on Galaxies for the term 2009-2012
• Invited to be a Council Member of the Governing Council of IUCAA(Inter-
University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics), Pune from 2011-2013
Research, Current Interests and Activities:
These cover
theoretical problems in galactic dynamics, interstellar
molecular clouds, and dynamics and evolution of interacting galaxies.
The emphasis has been to include both the stars and the
interstellar gas in the dynamical studies of galaxies, so that
the problems formulated are more realistic. Due to its low velocity
dispersion and its dissipational nature, the inclusion of gas
has a significant effect on the structure, stability, and the
evolution of the entire galactic disk. The problems studied are either
motivated by recent observations or our results make predictions
which can be checked by future observations.
The topics of interest are:
Lopsided galaxies : origin of disk lopsided (m=1) distribution as a
response to halo asymmetry. Self-consistent
disk response. Large-scale asymmetry of rotation curves in
spiral galaxies. Global asymmetry of type m =2, 3. Origin and evolution
of disk lopsidedness.
Self-consistent vertical distribution of stars and gas in galaxies.
Vertical pinching effect due to molecular cloud complexes.
Prediction of slight flaring with radius of stellar scaleheight.
There is no outer radial cut-off in disks of spiral galaxies:
the `Emperor's clothes' problem, warps
Dark matter halo
density profile and shape, using rotation curve and HI scale height as
constraints - applied to the Galaxy, M31, UGC 7321. The Milky Way is
shown to have a progressively more prolate halo in the outer disk
A galactic disk as a two-component (stars plus gas) system:
Stability of two-component galactic disks.
Q-criterion for marginal stability. Origin of spiral structure
via swing amplification in coupled stars and gas. Thick spiral arms.
Interstellar molecular clouds: Origin of random motion of
molecular clouds via gravitational viscous interaction. Internal
support of molecular clouds via tidal heating. Origin of the power-law
mass spectrum of molecular clouds.
Starburst galaxies: triggering
mechanism for the starbursts due to cloud compression by overpressure.
Origin of young globular clusters.
Luminosity profiles of mergers : mergers showing exponential profiles but
elliptical-like kinematics. Dynamics of these unusual, mixed systems, via N-body
simulations.
Research Projects/ Grants
An Indo-French (CEFIPRA) Project titled ”Dynamics of Lopsided Spiral
galaxies”(IFCPAR project 2704-1), with Prof. Francoise Combes, of Observatoire de
Paris, France, from 2003- 2007. This project was funded by the Indo-French centre
for promotion of advanced research, New Delhi, and received a grade ”Excellent”
in the final review.
INSA Inter-Academy Visiting fellowship to Germany for three weeks
September 22- October 11, 2007.
The main host and the host institution: Prof. Simon D.M. White, Director, Max
Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Garching, Germany
Royal Society (U.K.)-DST Phase II proposal- granted for a one-to-one
visit (2008)- for Dr. Victor Debattista, Univ. of Central Lancashire, U.K., and
myself on ”Dynamics of centres of mergers of galaxies”
UKIERI - "UK-India Education and Research Initiative” collaborative
research project funded by the British Council (2008-2011) titled ”Interdisciplinary
Oxford-India Research Network in Theoretical Physics” (PIs: D. Dhar,
TIFR and R. Moessner, Oxford)
International Meetings Organized
Title: The structure of disks shaped by secular evolution and environmental processes
1. Monica Valluri, Ph.D. (1993) ”Environmental influences on spiral galaxies in
clusters”. Presently at Univ. of Michigan, U.S.A.; email: mvalluri@umich.edu
2. Mousumi Das, Ph.D. (1996) ”Formation, nternal support, and starbursts in
molecular clouds in galaxies”. Presently at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics,
Bangalore; email: mousumi@iiap.res.in
3. Dalia Chakrabarty, M.S. (1997) ”Dynamical effects of a molecular cloud complex”
Presently at the Univ. of Warwick, U.K.; email: D.Chakrabarty@warwick.ac.uk
4. Chaitra Narayan, Ph.D. (2005) ”Vertical scaleheight distribution of stars and gas
in galaxies”. A Humboldt Fellow, with Prof. R. Dettmar at Univ. of Bochum,
Germany during 2005-2006. At present a project assistant with Prof. O. Gerhard
,MPIE, Garching.
5. Kanak Saha, Ph.D., 2008 ”Dynamics of warps and lopsidedness in galaxies”.
Presently a Humboldt fellow working with Prof. O. Gerhard, MPIE, Garching,
Germany from March 2010. email: saha@mpe.mpg.de
6. Rabbi Angiras, Ph.D., 2009 ” A study of lopsidedness in spiral galaxies in
groups”. (co-guided with Dr. Dwarakanath, Raman Research Institute). email:
rangiras@rri.res.in
7. Arunima Banerjee, Ph. D., 2012, ”Vertical structure of disk galaxies and their dark matter halos”. email: arunima_banerjee@physics.iisc.ernet.in. Presently a post-doctoral fellow at NCRA, Pune
8. Pratyush Pranav, M.S. 2009, ” Self-consistent response of a galactic disk to tidal
perturbations”. Now joined Univ. of Groningen, the Netherlands for Ph.D.. email:
pranav@astro.rug.nl
9. Rathulnath, R., Ph.D., just started, ” Dynamics of galaxies” email:
rathul@physics.iisc.ernet.in
10. Aparna Chitre (now Maybhate) (2001-2002), Postdoctoral fellow, ”Studies of
advanced mergers of galaxies using 2MASS archival data”. Presently at the Space
Telescope Science Institute, U.S.A. email: maybhate@stsci.edu
Other recent/current collaborators
Francoise Combes, & Frederic Bournaud, Observatoire de Paris, France
Paola di Matteo, Yan Qu, & Matt Lehnert, Observatoire de Paris, Section de
Meudon, France
Lynn Matthews, Haystack Observatory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A.
Ralf-Juergen Dettmar, and Eva Juette, Univ. of Bochum, Germany
Janine van Eymeren, University of Duisburg, Germany
Elias Brinks, University of Hertfordshire, U.K.
Leo Blitz, University of California at Berkeley, USA
Membership in Professional Societies
American Astronomical Society (AAS), 1985 - present
International Astronomical Union (IAU), 1988 - present
Astronomical Society of India (ASI), 1987 - present
