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Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) Mail Code 100-22 California Institute of Technology Pasadena, California 91125, USA Email : nurur@ipac.caltech.edu Phone : 1 626 395 (1869) Fax : 1 626 395 1925 |
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I have graduated from the department of Physics & Astronomy of the University of Kansas in 2004. My research interest includes understanding the behavior of the universe at early as well present epochs by studying statistical and dynamical properties of the Large Scale Structure (LSS) of the universe.
I have worked on the LSS distribution of massive objects such clusters of galaxies. One of my completed works in this field is on cosmological mass distribution function [ 1 ]. The mass distribution function (applied to both galaxy or clusters of galaxies) is an important tool in cosmology that helps us understand the abundance of the massive cosmological objects. Knowing the abundance of massive objects, we can eventually figure out the total mass density of the universe.
I have also worked on morphology and red-shift evolution of galaxy and clusters of galaxies as well as properties of high red-shift galaxies. I have been actively engaged in galaxy and cluster shape analysis using a specific morphological measure known as the Minkowski Functionals (MFs) [ 1, 2 ]. These functionals provide very efficient and robust measures which can be used for geometrical and topological descriptions of objects such as galaxies, cluster of galaxies, CMB map, and gravitational lensing maps. The universe, observable to us at present, shows a structure or a pattern. To have a pattern formed in a system an initial dynamics is needed. If we want to get a clear picture of the initial dynamics prevailing at the beginning of the universe responsible for the present day appearance of the universe, we can analyze its structured appearance carefully and infer about the state of the early universe by numerical simulation. The MFs can be used as efficient structural probes for systematic studies of the LSS because these functionals form a set of powerful non-parametric morphological measures to successfully quantify the shape of an object of arbitrary pattern.
I am interested in astronomical image analysis. In collaboration with my graduate advisor Sergei Shandarin, we have developed an optimal smoothing technique applicable to galaxy shape analysis [ 1 ]. This method can be very useful in image analysis for Infra-red surveys where S/N ratio is poor and background noise plays a dominant role. We have applied this method to galaxies imaged in the 2MASS survey and obtained encouraging results.
I am interested in the thermal properties of the Intra-Cluster medium (ICM), physics of AGN and its possible role in the cluster center, star formation and SN remnants. One of my current projects involves finding a possible source of heating mechanism responsible for flattening of temperature profile in cluster core. It deals with physics of clusters in hydrostatic equilibrium and finding possible connections with Soret and Dufour effects, two reciprocal processes responsible for mass and heat flow from regions where mass and temperature gradients exist.
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