Ayush Pandhi – Trottier Space Institute Fellow

I am a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Trottier Space Institute at McGill University. Prior to that I ontained both my Honours BSc and PhD in astronomy and astrophysics from the University of Toronto.

My research centers on using radio observations to study magnetism in the Universe: from the extreme magnetic fields of compact objects that drive radio transients, to large-scale fields that help shape the evolution of galaxies. As a part of the Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment fast radio burst (CHIME/FRB) project, I work to unravel the origins of FRBs using their polarization properties and long-term monitoring of repeating FRBs. I also use FRBs as probes of the magnetized Universe, for example I developed a statistical inference technique to show how FRBs can be used to map the Galactic Magnetic Field.

Another avenue of my interest includes understanding the role of magnetic fields in the process of star formation. The preferred orientation of dust grains in the interstellar medium informs us about the local Galactic magnetic field morphology and, combined with high resolution radio observations of dense molecular gas tracers, I study how the orientation and rotation of dense cores (proginetors of stars) align with the ambient magnetic fields. This type of analysis sheds light on the balace of gravity, turbulence, and magnetic pressure in the earliest stages of star formation and how these cores evolve into stellar systems.

Much of my research is conducted as a part of scientific collaborations, working with researchers across the world. Currently I am a part of the:
Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping fast radio burst (CHIME/FRB) experiment,
Polarisation Sky Survey of the Universe’s Magnetism (POSSUM) collaboration,
Green Bank Ammonia Survey (GAS), and
Interstellar Magnetic Field Inference Engine (IMAGINE) consortium.

Using the tabs above, you can find more information about my research, a curated list of my publications, teaching and outreach initiatives (including student supervision), and you can download my curriculum vitae.