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Astroparticle Physics Laboratory

Rahul Gupta

(NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow)

Rahul Gupta's Contact Card & Information.
Email: rahul.gupta@nasa.gov
Org Code: 661
Address:
NASA/GSFC
Mail Code 661
Greenbelt, MD 20771
Employer: NPP POST-DOC CONTRACT

Brief Bio


Dr. Rahul Gupta embarked on his academic and research journey driven by a fascination with the cosmos and a deep curiosity about the violent and dynamic processes that govern it. His passion led him to specialize in the study of Gamma-Ray Bursts, which are immense flashes of gamma rays often associated with the collapse of massive stars or the merging of neutron stars. These cosmic explosions offer a unique opportunity to understand fundamental aspects of high-energy astrophysics, cosmology, and the behavior of matter under extreme conditions.


Dr. Gupta received his B.Sc. (Hons) in Physics from Banaras Hindu University in 2015, followed by M.Sc. in Physics from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad in 2017. Dr. Gupta received his PhD degree in 2023 from Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, India, and moved to NASA GSFC as a NASA Postdoctoral Program Fellow.

Research Interests


Multiwavelength Observations of Gamma-ray bursts

Astrophysics: Gamma-ray Bursts

Dr. Gupta primary research focus is on Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), the most energetic and enigmatic phenomena in the Universe. He utilize multi-wavelength data from various ground and space-based telescopes, including the NASA Fermi and Swift missions. His research covers a wide spectrum of topics including: 


Prompt Emission: Investigating the initial burst of gamma rays and the mechanisms that produce this extraordinary release of energy.


Spectro-Polarimetric Analysis: Analyzing the spectrum and polarization of GRB emissions to gain insights into the physical processes and structures of the GRB jets. This work also aims to address fundamental and unresolved questions in high-energy physics, such as the radiation mechanisms and jet composition of bright GRBs.


Afterglow Studies: Understanding the fading emission following the initial burst, which can span across X-ray, optical, and radio wavelengths.


Progenitor Models: Exploring the origins of GRBs, including the collapse of massive stars and mergers of compact objects.


GRB Environments: Studying the environments in which GRBs occur and their implications for the bursts' characteristics and their role in the Universe.


Current Projects


Spectro-Polarimetric Analysis of GRBs

Gamma-ray Bursts

Analyzing the spectrum and polarization of GRB emissions to gain insights into the physical processes and structures of the GRB jets. This work also aims to address fundamental and unresolved questions in high-energy physics, such as the radiation mechanisms and jet composition of bright GRBs.

Positions/Employment


NPP (NASA Postdoctoral Program) Fellow

ORAU - NASA GSFC

February 2024 - Present

Selected Publications


Refereed

2024. "A Detailed Time-resolved and Energy-resolved Spectro-polarimetric Study of Bright Gamma-Ray Bursts Detected by AstroSat CZTI in Its First Year of Operation." The Astrophysical Journal 972 (2): 166 [10.3847/1538-4357/ad5a92] [Journal Article/Letter]

2024. "Recent Observations of Peculiar Gamma-Ray Bursts Using the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT)." Bulletin de la Société Royale des Sciences de Liège 683-699 [10.25518/0037-9565.11838] [Journal Article/Letter]

2023. "Prompt Emission and Early Optical Afterglow of Very-high-energy Detected GRB 201015A and GRB 201216C: Onset of the External Forward Shock." The Astrophysical Journal 942 (1): 34 [10.3847/1538-4357/aca414] [Journal Article/Letter]

2022. "Multiwavelength study of the luminous GRB 210619B observed with Fermi and ASIM." Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 519 (3): 3201-3226 [10.1093/mnras/stac3629] [Journal Article/Letter]

Selected Public Outreach


NASA-UMBC INTERACTION DAYS (A NASA-Swift mission outreach endeavor)

October 2024 - October 2024

Contributed/Supported to Swift mission outreach endeavor.