Prakash Arumugasamy
Visiting Fellow
National Centre for Radio Astrophysics
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus,
Pune 411 007
Maharashtra, INDIA
Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
Savitribai Phule Pune University Campus,
Pune 411 007
Maharashtra, INDIA
Status: Left
Main Research Areas: High energy astrophysics, Multiwavelength observations of neutron stars, Radio/X-ray timing and spectral analysis, advanced statistical techniques
Biography:
I obtained my Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Madras University in 2003. After a stint in the industry, I did a master's in physics at Pune University in 2007, followed by a Ph.D. in astronomy and astrophysics at The Pennsylvania State University, USA in 2015. I joined the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics in 2016 as a Postdoctoral Fellow.Research description:
Rotation Powered Pulsars
Pulsars lose significant amounts of their spin-down and thermal energy via high-energy emission. Consequently, observations in the X-rays help us study the magnetosheric emission as well as the thermal emission from the stellar surface. My work focuses on (i) understanding the evolution of these emission processes as the star spins down to oblivion (ii) revealing the temperature distribution on the surface and the magnetic field structure of the magnetosphere through detailed phase-resolved and energy-resolved analysis of the pulsar's X-ray emission.
Pulsars lose significant amounts of their spin-down and thermal energy via high-energy emission. Consequently, observations in the X-rays help us study the magnetosheric emission as well as the thermal emission from the stellar surface. My work focuses on (i) understanding the evolution of these emission processes as the star spins down to oblivion (ii) revealing the temperature distribution on the surface and the magnetic field structure of the magnetosphere through detailed phase-resolved and energy-resolved analysis of the pulsar's X-ray emission.
Pulsars in Compact Binaries
Accretion in binary systems can spin up the pulsars to millisecond periods, allowing their high-energy emission to continue for billions of years. My focus has been on a special class of such recycled pulsars in the process of fatally ablating their companions. The violent interactions allow us to probe the highly magnetized, relativistic pulsar winds close to the pulsar. The goals of my research on BWPs include performing targeted multiwavelength campaign to (i) better constrain the basic pulsar and binary orbital properties through radio and optical observations (ii) empirically model the radio dispersion behavior and eclipsing geometry around the pulsar orbit (iii) to better distinguish and characterize the X-ray shock emission. This will allow us to reliably identify and characterize the intra-binary emission, and its effects on the companion star.
Accretion in binary systems can spin up the pulsars to millisecond periods, allowing their high-energy emission to continue for billions of years. My focus has been on a special class of such recycled pulsars in the process of fatally ablating their companions. The violent interactions allow us to probe the highly magnetized, relativistic pulsar winds close to the pulsar. The goals of my research on BWPs include performing targeted multiwavelength campaign to (i) better constrain the basic pulsar and binary orbital properties through radio and optical observations (ii) empirically model the radio dispersion behavior and eclipsing geometry around the pulsar orbit (iii) to better distinguish and characterize the X-ray shock emission. This will allow us to reliably identify and characterize the intra-binary emission, and its effects on the companion star.
Multiwavelength Observations of Neutron Stars
My recent collaborations include GMRT surveys to detect radio pulsar and multiwavelength observations of the candidate sources, precise and long-term timing of pulsars for the Indian Pulsar Timing Array, and studying intermittent and persistent emission from pulsars by performing multiwavelength observations.
My recent collaborations include GMRT surveys to detect radio pulsar and multiwavelength observations of the candidate sources, precise and long-term timing of pulsars for the Indian Pulsar Timing Array, and studying intermittent and persistent emission from pulsars by performing multiwavelength observations.
Selected publications:
1. X-ray Emission from J1446-4701, J1311-3430 and Other Black Widow Pulsars ( Arumugasamy P. , Pavlov G. G., and Garmire, G. 2015, accepted by ApJ, 814, 90) 2. XMM Observations of Young and Energetic Pulsar J2022+3842 (Arumugasamy P., Pavlov G. G., Kargaltsev O. 2014, ApJ, 790, 103) 3. XMM-Newton Observation of the Very Old Pulsar J0108-1431 (Posselt, B., Arumugasamy, P., Pavlov, G. G., R. N. Manchester, R. N., Shannon, R. M., and Kargaltsev, O. 2012a, ApJ, 761, 117)
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