Sunil Chandra
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Sunil Chandra

Extragalactic-Astrophysicst, Calibration Scientist, Software/APP Developer, Educator
Assistant Professor @ Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad Adjunct Senior Lecturer @ NWU Potchefstroom (Honorary position)
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About Me

I have been working as a profesisonal astronomer & astrophysicist since 2009. I completed my PhD in Astronomy & Astrophysics from Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad Gujarat in 2013. I use multi-wavelength data on blazars, radio galaxies and black-hole X-ray binaries to understand particle acceleration, and magnetic field in the astrophysical jets. I am also interested in X-ray and optical instrumentation and software development.

Astronomy & Astrophysics

40%

X-ray Instrumentation/Calibration

20%

Software Development

30%

Outreach Programs/Social Engagements

10%

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What I do

Research Interests

Image Credit: J. H. Buckley

Multi-wavelength Variability of Blazars

  • Understanding the microvariations
  • Model the SED, lightcurve, SED and polarization to derive the nature of particle acceleration and magnetic field.
  • To explore blazars for the calibration of moderate X-ray spectrograph

Image Credit: Berton, M. et al. 2017 (1705.07905)

Radio Galaxies: The astrophysical jets seen at large angles

  • Understanding the GeV & TeV emission in Radio galaxies
  • To model the SEDs to derive the nature of particle acceleration i.e., at the locations far downstream the jet
  • Finding synergies between acceleration in the jets in blazars and radio galaxies

Image Credit: www.cosmos.esa.int

X-ray Binaries and the disk-jet connection

  • To enrich the sample of BH XRBs by determining the spin and mass of the host blackhole
  • The transient jets in BHXRBs and the similarities with the astrophysical jets in SMBH

Image Credit: ISSDC: www.isro.gov.in

X-ray Instrument Calibration

  • Initial in-orbit calibration of SXT aboard AstroSat
  • To improve the understanding of SXT background, contamination and Ancillary Response Matrix
  • How can we adopt the learnings from SXT calibration to future imaging spectrographs?

Image Credit: www.prl.res.in

Robotic Telescopes

  • Installation and Polar Alignment of 0.5m robotic telescope at Mt. Abu
  • Calibrations of EMCCD and optical components
  • Development of Scheduler Script for 0.5m telescope

Software Developments

  • Observatory Control System for Intelligent Observatory @ SAAO
  • Several command line tools for AstroSat-SXT Calibration for Payload Operation Center, TIFR, Mumbai
  • Several comand line tool for general AstroSat users, e.g., Event Merger Tool, sxtARFModule etc.

Image Credit: www.io.saao.ac.za

My Resume

Work Experience

2024 - present

Assistant Professor

Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Stationed at Mt Abu Observatory, Rajasthan, I am focusing on various aspects of a) telescope modernization, b) use of AI/ML for the management of data and observatory telemetry, and, 3) physical phenomena related to the magnetic field and particle acceleration in astrophysical jets. For this I am also closly working with the international collabprations such as HESS, CTA, and EHT.

2021 - 2024

Post-Doctoral Fellow

South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), Cape Town, South Africa

The development of API-based modules for IO project @ SAAO, emission from radio galaxies and blazars as part of international collaboration including Event horizon telescope (EHT), High Energy Stereoscopic System (HESS), AstroSat-NuSTAR through IACHEC, X-ray calibration SXT @ AstroSat.

2020 - present

Adjunct Senior Lecturer

Center for Space Research, North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom

This is an honorary position with a partial support for my scientific research on high energy emission from blazars. This position also facilitates the access of TeV observing facilities like HESS and CTA.

2017 - 2020

Post-Doctoral Fellow (CTA Fellow)

Center for Space Research, North West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Potchefstroom

High energy emission in blazars and radio galaxies using multi-frequeny facilities like HESS, Fermi NuSTAR, Swift, AstroSat and XMM, X-ray emission from magnetars, EHT-MWL - HESS coordination, Calibration updates for Soft X-ray telescope (SXT) onboard Indian satellite AstroSat.

2014 - 2017

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India

Extensive in-flight calibration of SXT, and 2) multi-wavelength study of blazars as part of international collaborations like AstroSat - SALT program. See www.tifr.res.in/~astrosat_sxt/input.html for some of my important contributions to the AstroSat project. Also check www.github.com/scsaao for a number of useful codes I developed.

2013 - 2014

Post-Doctoral Fellow

Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India

Calibration of EMCCD detector and optical elements like optical filters, Assisted in installation and Polar alignment and other calibrations of 0.5m optical telescope for variability studies (ATVS) set-up @ Mt. Abu infrared observatory (MIRO) Rajasthan, Autoschedular Script for robotic scheduling, multi-wavelength variability in blazars.

My Gallery

Some Excellent Time Snaps

  • All
  • Observatory
  • Conferences & Fun
  • Social Engagements
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Mt. Abu infrared Observatory, India

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AstroSat Science Meeting - 2014, Goa

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Azamalpur Science Mela - 2019

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SAAO, Sutherland

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Best Poster Prize @ Erice - 2018

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USF Annual Mega Event - 2019

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AstroSat & HESS

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Holi @ TIFR - 2016

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United Science Foundation

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A descriptive study of HBL 1959+650 is performed using 6 years of multi-wavelength data. The source shows long-term & short-term correlated MW variations. Two major flaring activities are also investigated using time dependent leptonic model to reproduce the lightcurves and spectral energy distribution. Refer to Sunil Chandra et al 2021 ApJ 918 67

Blazars & Radio Galaxies

Multi-wavelength Study of activities in HBL 1ES 1959+650

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A descriptive study of HBL 1959+650 is performed using 6 years of multi-wavelength data. The source shows long-term & short-term correlated MW variations. Two major flaring activities are also investigated using time dependent leptonic model to reproduce the lightcurves and spectral energy distribution. Refer to Sunil Chandra et al 2021 ApJ 918 67

Blazars & Radio Galaxies

Multi-wavelength Study of activities in HBL 1ES 1959+650

Image

A descriptive study of HBL 1959+650 is performed using 6 years of multi-wavelength data. The source shows long-term & short-term correlated MW variations. Two major flaring activities are also investigated using time dependent leptonic model to reproduce the lightcurves and spectral energy distribution. Refer to Sunil Chandra et al 2021 ApJ 918 67

Blazars & Radio Galaxies

Multi-wavelength Study of activities in HBL 1ES 1959+650

My Collaborators

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Prof. Markus Boettcher

Professor & SARChI Chair of Astrophysics & Space Physics

AGN, XRBs and GRBs @ CSR - NWU, Potchesfstroom [my former PDF Host]

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Prof. K. P. Singh

Professor

AGN, INSTRUMENTATION, CVs, Galaxy cluster @ TIFR, Mumbai and IISER Mohali, Punjab [my former PDF host]

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Dr. Michael Zacharias

Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

AGN, GRB @ CSR-NWU Potchesfstroom [collaborator]

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Dr. Pranjupriya Goswami

Post-Doctoral Fellow

AGN, XRB @ CSR-NWU Potchesfstroom & Tezpur University [collaborator]

Sunil Chandra

SAAO, Observatory Road, Observatory, Cape Town - 7925

+027 (0)637612471 67890

chandra@saao.ac.za

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