I am a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Physics, Pennsylvania StateUniersity.

Research Interests

Gravitational-wave astrophysics

In collaboration with Lee Samuel Finn, Ruxandra Bondarescu, I work on how gravitational-wave (GW) observations can test different gamma ray bursts (GRB) progenitor models, using a coherent data-analysis technique applied for a network of ground-based gravitational-wave detectors, such as LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) and VIRGO.

I am also interested in studying double white dwarfs (DWD) and white dwarf-Neutron star (WD-NS) binaries as gravitational-wave sources for the proposed space-based NASA/ESA gravitatioanal-wave detector, LISA (Laser Interferometer Space Antenna). At present, I am studying the effect of white-dwarf structure on the evolution of these binaries and consequently, how it impacts the GW radiation from these sources.

I also work with Prof. Richard Wade on population studies of hot subdwarfs-B binary systems. Specifically we investigate whether population synthesis models predict large hidden populations of these binary systems and whether observations can verify this result.

Extrasolar Planets

At present, I am investigating the dynamical stability of extrasolar planets (mainly terrestrial mass planets, mass < 10 M_E) in the habitable zone. Dynamical stability means to see if a planet remains stable in an orbit over a long evolutionary (dynamical) time-scale (typically, I see it as 10 million years ). Classically, Habitable zone is defined as the range of orbits for which a terrestrial mass planet with favorable atmospheric conditions, can sustain liquid water on its surface (Kasting et al. 1993, Selsis et al. 2007).

My collaborators in this project are Rory Barnes and Sean Raymond. I am also a member of Virtual Planetary Lab (VPL) of NASA Astrobiology Institute (NAI). I also interact with Jim Kasting's group at Pennstate on various astrobiology issues.