Bio
Researcher in Theoretical Astrophysics, specialising in Compact Stars and Gravitational Wave Science. Presently Associate Professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India, and also member of several international collaborations, including LIGO Scientific Collaboration. Current Chair of Education and Public Outreach for the LIGO-India mega-science project.
Associate Professor, Astrophysicist & Science Communicator.
Associate Professor at the Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India
- Interests: Compact Stars, Gravitational Waves
- Languages:
English, French, German, Hindi, Bangla (fluent)
Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese (basic)
- Expertise in analytical and numerical modelling of Compact Objects in Astrophysics and emission of Gravitational Waves
- Science communication
- Ambassador for Science and Women in STEM disciplines
Research
Prof. Debarati Chatterjee is a theoretical astrophysicist with an expertise in analytical and numerical description of compact stars (neutron stars and white dwarfs). Her main interests are in developing global models which take into account both microscopic (involving interdisciplinary physics such as nuclear and particle physics, superconductivity) and macroscopic aspects (magnetic fields, relativity) consistently in order to improve astrophysical simulations and for better interpretation of multi-messenger astrophysical observations.
Profile
Debarati Chatterjee
Associate Professor, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India
Education
Ph.D. in Theoretical Astrophysics
Degree received in 2010
Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata, India
Dissertation title "Study of cold and dense neutron star matter"
Masters in Physics
Degree received in 2003
University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
Recipient of gold medal for first rank in the University in Masters in Physics
Professional Experience
Institut für Theoretische Physik, Universität Heidelberg, Germany
2010 - 2012
Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral researcher
- Published seminal work about massive Neutron Stars with hyperons as a solution to the "Hyperon Puzzle"
Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2012 - 2012
HIC for FAIR guest researcher
- Set up Molecular Dynamic simulations of the Neutron Star crust.
Observatoire de Paris, Meudon, France
2013 - 2015
Postdoctoral Researcher at Laboratoire Univers et Théories (LuTh)
- Developed consistent numerical models of ultra-magnetised Neutron Stars.
Université de Caen, Normandie, France
2015 - 2018
CNRS Researcher at Laboratoire de Physique Corpusculaire, ENSICAEN, Caen
- Developed unified density functional models to describe crust-core interface in Neutron Stars.
Publications
Orcid ID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0995-2329ArXiv:
http://arxiv.org/a/chatterjee_d_3Research Gate:
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Debarati-Chatterjee-2NS/GW Research Group @IUCAA
Current group members
PhD students:
- Bikram Keshari Pradhan
- Suprovo Ghosh
- Swarnim Shirke
- Nilaksha Barman
- Pranjal Tambe
- Rajesh Maiti
Postdoctoral student:
- Dhruv Pathak
Visiting students:
- Yatharth Chaurasiya (SPPU) [SPPU-IUCAA Joint MSc]
- Kartav Kesri (IISER Bhopal) [IUCAA VSP Programme]
Past members or visitors:
- Kuldeep Singh (SPPU) [IUCAA-SPPU Joint M.Sc.]
- Abhinaba Ghosh (IISER Kolkata)
- Radhika Gandhi (IIT Gandhinagar) [IUCAA VSP Programme]
- Sukrit Jaiswal (IISER Pune)
Teaching
- IUCAA-NCRA Graduate School Course
- Quantum Mechanics: Semester I Term I (Aug 8 - Oct 6, 2023)
- Statistical Mechanics: Semester I Term II (Oct 19 - Dec 16, 2022)
- Statistical Mechanics: Semester I Term II (Dec 27, 2021 -Feb 25, 2022)
- Statistical Mechanics: Semester I Term II (Dec 16 2020 - Feb 14 2021)
- Organiser of IUCAA Summer School /Refresher Course in Astronomy & Astrophysics (ISSAA2022), 16 May-17 June, 2022
- Lectures during ISSAA (IUCAA Summer School / Refresher Course in Astronomy
& Astrophysics), (Live on Youtube)
- “Compact Stars and Gravitational Waves” (2 June, 2023)
- “Compact Stars I & II” (2-3 June, 2022)
- “Compact Stars I & II” (20-21 May, 2021)
- “Compact Astrophysical Objects I & II” (2-3 June, 2020)
- Lecture on “Pulsars” at the 13th Radio Astronomy Winter School (RAWS), NCRA-IUCAA, Jan 5, 2021
- Online lecture for LIGO India GW@Home Lecture Series (Live on Youtube), May 8 2020
Awards and Recognitions
- Poster contest winner at NuSym 2021 - International Symposium on Nuclear Symmetry Energy, Oct 20, 2021, along with IUCAA PhD student Suprovo Ghosh
- Alexander von Humboldt Renewed Research grant, 2019
- 9 OpenBadges awarded by Le Dôme, France for science communication, 2019
- Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship, 2010-2012
- Medal awarded by Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics for outstanding performance, 2010
- DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) Short term fellowship award, 2008
- ECT* Fellowship for Doctoral Training Programme, 2007
- Gold Medal from University of Calcutta for first rank in M.Sc. (Physics) in 2003
- Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund award for first rank in Physics in Calcutta University at post graduate level in 2002-03
- J.N.C.A.S.R. (Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research) Summer Research Fellowship, 2000
Media Coverage
- Featured by CNRS Normandie, France as Ambassador for Science for Normandie University (in French), April, 2019 https://www.echosciences-normandie.fr/communautes/reflexion-s/articles/comprendre-l-univers-autour-de-moi
- Featured in French Podcast “Femmes de Sciences”, Sept 7,2020 https://soundcloud.com/paris_normandie/partir-au-bout-du-monde-avec-debarati-chatterjee-astrophysicienne-et-professeure-de-physique?in=paris_normandie/sets/femmes-de-sciences
- Featured in an article in the French newspaper Paris-Normandie, 9 Oct,2020 https://www.paris-normandie.fr/actualites/societe/chimiste-ingenieur-astrophysicienne-ou-sont-les-femmes-scientifiques-en-normandie-AG17330066
- The article ``Exploring the effects of Δ baryons in magnetars" (K. D. Marquez, M. R. Pelicer, S. Ghosh, J. Peterson, D. Chatterjee, V. Dexheimer, and D. P. Menezes, Phys. Rev. C 106, 035801, 2022) was highlighted as Editors' Suggestion for the journal Physical Review C and was selected for inclusion in the American Physical Society's (APS) outreach to the press. The French coverage of the article appeared in the October issue of Pour La Science (the French version of the American journal Scientific American) https://www.pourlascience.fr/sd/astrophysique/des-particules-exotiques-au-coeur-desmagnetars-24266.php
- Invited to contribute an article to the special issue (Jan-June2023) of Physics News (PN), showcasing the cutting edge research of young women physicists in India. PN is a newsletter published by the Indian Physics Association (IPA). The special issue can be found at: https://www.tifr.res.in/~ipa1970/news/V53-12/PN_V53-12.html
Outreach
I have a flair for public speaking, science writing and communication, and campaign for gender equality in STEM disciplines. During the past years I participated in public talks, radio interviews and science festivals. I have also been selected as role model/ambassador for international research (Euraxess, Réflexion.s). Currently I am Chair of Education and Public Outreach (EPO) for the mega-science project LIGO-India.
- Public Talk (in German) “Supernova und Tanz der Teilchen”, Kultur Salon, Heidelberg, Germany, Oct 17, 2014
- Ambassador of international research, Euraxess on Tour, Cité Internationale Universitaire de Paris, Paris, France, Oct 8, 2015
- Participation in Science Expo Fête de la Science, Caen, France, 2016 and 2017
- Interview (in French) for Radio Phénix, Caen, France, May 2017
- Public Talk “L’au delà de la mort des étoiles” (in French), Pint of Science, Caen, France, May 17, 2017
- Interview (in Bangla) for All India Radio FM Rainbow (national Indian radio), Oct 2018
- Ambassador of research for Project « Réflexion.s » conceptualized by CNRS Normandie, Echosciences Université Normandie and Le Dôme, 2019
- Interview (in French) for Radio Tou’Caen, 25 April 2019
- Speaker for Pint of Science, Caen, France, 20 May 2019
- Invited speaker for “Women in Space Sector” organized by Darmstadt Space |Raumfahrt Fans, Darmstadt, Germany, Jan 7 2020
- Invited speaker for Horizon Astronomy Club of IIT Madras, Sept 13, 2020
- Invited speaker for the IIT Gandhinagar Colloquium, March 14, 2021
- Invited talk on the occasion of Women’s Day, “Future opportunities for Indian girl students in Mega-Science projects : LIGO-India”, Nehru Science Centre, Mumbai, March 5, 2021
- “Gravitational Waves : window to an unforeseen Universe” invited (online) talk on National Science Day for NIT Surat, Feb 28, 2022
- Invited talk (online) for the EXPLORE 2022 Workshop: Astrophysical Laboratories of Fundamental Physics, “Neutron Stars : Astrophysical Probes of Extreme Matter”, March 29, 2022
- Invited (virtual) talk for the Physics and Astronomy Club of IIT Delhi, March 11, 2022
- Invited (online) lecture “Probing Extreme Physics with Gravitational Waves” for Basic Astronomy Course organised by Jyotirvidya Parisanstha (JVP), April 20, 2022
- Conceptualised and coordinated a two-day “Star Fest” at the New Model Degree College in Hingoli, 5-6 Aug, 2022.
- Talk delivered (in Hindi) at Toshniwal College of Arts, Science and Commerce in Sengaon, Hingoli, 6 Aug 2022
- Public outreach talk (in Hindi) at a school in Bhosi cluster in Aundha Naganath (Hingoli district), 6 Aug 2022
- Invited talk (online) for the 2nd Electronic Conference on Universe (ECU) “S2. Women Scientists in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology" organised by MDPI on February 27, 2023, titled “Gravitational Waves from Neutron Stars to probe Extreme Physics”
- Talk delivered on “Building a Gravitational Wave Science Community in India” at the ASI-POEC session during the 41st Meeting of the Astronomical Society of India, Indore on March 3, 2023
- Invited talk “LIGO-India: A Gravitational Wave detector on Indian soil” for Frontiers in Physics XVI at Fergusson College, Pune on April 12, 2023
- Invited (online) lecture “LIGO-India: A Gravitational Wave observatory on Indian soil” for Basic Astronomy Course organised by Jyotirvidya Parisanstha (JVP), May 30, 2023
- Talk delivered at the Interdisciplinary School of Science (IDSS) Space Society, Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) on the occasion of World Space Week on October 4 2023, titled “Gravitational Wave Astronomy: a new window to the invisible Universe”
Contact
If you have any innovative concepts/projects involving science communication where you would like to collaborate, feel free to contact me at debi.physix@gmail.com
Location:
Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411007, India
Email:
debarati@iucaa.in
Call:
+91(0)20 25604 125