Ajith Parameswaran
About
Recent observations of gravitational waves by LIGO and Virgo have opened a unique window onto the universe.
Ajith Parameswaran’s research spans different aspects of the physics and astronomy of gravitational waves. His research group is interested in the theoretical modelling of the expected signals from various astrophysical sources, probes of strong gravity using gravitational-wave observations and the study of astrophysical black holes using this new branch of astronomy.
Combining analytical calculations in general relativity with large-scale numerical-relativity simulations, Ajith has pioneered a ‘phenomenological’ approach for modelling the expected gravitational-wave signals from binary black holes. Waveforms constructed using this method were employed in the parameter estimation of the LIGO/Virgo events and for testing the consistency of the observed signals with Einstein’s theory of general relativity. In the LIGO-Virgo collaboration, Ajith’s research group played an active role in performing some of the first tests of Einstein’s theory using gravitational-wave observations.
Ajith is currently PI of the Indo-US Centre for the Exploration of Extreme Gravity at ICTS (funded by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum), 2016–18; and head of the Max Planck Partner Group in Astrophysical Relativity and Gravitational-Wave Astronomy at ICTS-TIFR, 2015–18.
Awards
- PI of the Indo-US Centre for the Exploration of Extreme Gravity funded by the Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, 2016-2018.
- Head of the Max Planck Partner Group in Astrophysical Relativity and Gravitational-Wave Astronomy at ICTS-TIFR, supported by the Max Planck Society, 2015-2018.
- Ramanujan Fellowship, Department of Science and Technology, India, 2013–18
- Honorable Mention, PhD Thesis Prize competition by the Gravitational-Wave International Committee, 2007
- International Max Planck Scholarship for Doctoral Students, 2004–07
Relevant Publications
Abbott, B.P. et al. [LIGO Scientific and Virgo Collaborations]. “Observation of Gravitational Waves from a Binary Black Hole Merger.” Phys. Rev. Lett. 116 (2016).
Ghosh, A. et al. “Testing general relativity using golden black-hole binaries.” arXiv:1602.02453 (2016).
Ghosh, A., W. Del Pozzo, and P. Ajith. “Estimating parameters of binary black holes from gravitational-wave observations of their inspiral, merger and ringdown.” Phys. Rev. D 94 (2016).
Ajith, P. et al. “An effectual template bank for the detection of gravitational waves from inspiralling compact binaries with generic spins.” Phys. Rev. D 89 (2014).
Ajith, P. et al. “Inspiral-merger-ringdown waveforms for black-hole binaries with nonprecessing spins.” Phys. Rev. Lett. 106 (2011).