Pradip Gatkine

My key research interests include exploring the cosmic baryon cycle and astrophotonics. I use multi-wavelength observations to infer the early evolution of galaxies and how they enrich the universe with metals.

I am also developing integrated astrophotonic spectrographs (on a chip!) to analyze the near infrared (NIR) light coming from early universe. This cutting-edge technology allows us to massively miniaturize astronomical spectrometers and provide novel ways to manipulate the amplitude and phase of the light to extract the properties of the astrophysical source / medium.

I went to Indian Institute of Technology Bombay where I completed my Bachelors of Technology in Mechanical Engineering and minor in Physics in 2014. For my undergrad thesis, I developed and launched a cosmic-ray flux payload using a weather balloon. I switched gears to obtain my PhD in Astronomy at the University of Maryland College Park, working with Sylvain Veilluex (Astronomy) and Mario Dagenais (Elec. & Comp. Engg). My thesis focused on the study of circumgalactic medium (CGM) at high redshifts and development of on-chip photonic spectrographs for the next generation of large telescopes. Currently, I am a David & Ellen Lee Postdoctoral Scholar at Caltech working on developing astrophotonic instruments for exoplanet characterization and uncovering the CGM-galaxy relationship.

Please find my CV here.