Vanitas vanitatum, omnia vanitas

The Book of Ecclesiastes


Curriculum Vitae





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Awards and Distinctions



Research Interests


My research interests lie mostly in: Classical General Relativity (GR), Semi-classical aspects of black hole physics, and Quantum Field Theory (QFT) in curved and/or non-trivial backgrounds.


Publications


My research profile, and most of the papers in the list below, can be accessed from:
inSPIRE arXiv

Publication Summary: 50 research papers [Published: 46; Preprints: 4]  |  15 single authored  |  2 reviews  |  2 book chapters  |  3 pedagogical articles.


    2026

  1. [Book chapter] Quantum nature of gravity and spacetime: Fundamental insights from the Hoyle-Narlikar theory, Dawood Kothawala, Narlikar’s Steady World: Man and the Legend (2026) [arXiv:2607.21649] - to be published by Springer
  2. When the Ringing Stops: Purely Imaginary Modes in the Ringdown Spectrum of Dynamical Black Holes, Lodovico C., T. Lovo, Gorka P., S. Sarkar, A. Kuntz, E. Barausse, Dawood Kothawala, [Preprint] (2026) [arXiv:2605.28951]
  3. Geodesic structure of spacetime near singularities, Mayank, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 113, 104010 (2026) [arXiv:2512.12271]
  4. Microcanonical Phase Space and Entropy in Curved Spacetime, Avinandan Mondal, Dawood Kothawala, Ann. Phys. 489, 170464 (2026) [arXiv:2412.10058]
  5. 2025

  6. Twin-paradox and Entanglement, K. Hari, S. Barman, Dawood Kothawala, [Preprint] (2025) [arXiv:2512.10908]
  7. Entanglement between accelerated probes in a de Sitter spacetime, Mayank, K. Hari, S. Barman, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 111, 105022 (2025) [arXiv:2410.01266]
  8. Worldline EFT treatment of quadratic and cubic gravity theories, R. Kulkarni, Rahul, S. Bhattacharyya, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 112, 124028 (2025) [arXiv:2410.01266]
  9. 2024

  10. [Letter] Non-Inertial frames that can mimic gravitational fields, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D Letters 110, L121502 (2024) [arXiv:2403.16229]
  11. Universal role of curvature in vacuum entanglement, Hari K, Subhajit Barman, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 109, 065017 (2024) [arXiv:2311.15019]
  12. Rotating detectors in dS/AdS, Hari K, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 109, 104073 (2024) [arXiv:2307.16413]
  13. 2023

  14. Limits of a non-local quantum spacetime, Dawood Kothawala, Int. Jour. of Mod. Phys. D 32, 2342021 (2023) [arXiv:2305.09265] [Hon’ble Mention essay; Gravity Research Foundation Essay Contest, 2023]
  15. Synge’s World function and the quantum spacetime, Dawood Kothawala, J. Phys. : Conf. Ser. 2533, 012012 (2023) [arXiv:2304.01995] - Proceedings of DICE 2022, “Spacetime - Matter - Quantum Mechanics”, Castiglioncello (2023)
  16. Decoherence due to Spacetime Curvature, Raghvendra Singh, Kabir Khanna, Dawood Kothawala, [Preprint] [arXiv:2302.09038]
  17. Geometric aspects of covariant Wick rotation, Raghvendra Singh, Dawood Kothawala, Eur. Phys. J. C 83, 194 (2023) [arXiv:2010.01822]
  18. 2022

  19. [Letter] Covariant formulation of Generalised Uncertainty Principle, Raghvendra Singh, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D Letters 105, L101501 (2022) [arXiv:2110.15951]
  20. 2021

  21. Effect of tidal curvature on dynamics of accelerated probes, Hari K, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 104, 064032 (2021) [arXiv:2106.14496]
  22. [Pedagogical] Varying without varying: Reparameterisations, Diffeomorphisms, General Covariance, Lie derivatives, and all that, Dawood Kothawala, Eur. J. Phys. 42, 055601 (2021) [arXiv:2004.04178]
  23. 2020

  24. Normal coordinates based on curved tangent space, Hari K, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 101, 124066 (2020) [arXiv:2003.10169]
  25. BGV theorem, Geodesic deviation, and Quantum fluctuations, Dawood Kothawala, Class. Quantum Grav. 38, 045006 (2020) [arXiv:1806.03846]
  26. 2019

  27. Raychaudhuri equation with zero point length, S. Chakraborty, Dawood Kothawala, A. Pesci, Phys. Letts. B 797, 134877 (2019) [arXiv:1904.09053]
  28. Universality of Hawking radiation in non local field theories, Nirmalya Kajuri, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Letts. B 791, 319-322 (2019) [arXiv:1806.10345]
  29. 2018

  30. Euclidean Action and the Einstein tensor, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 97, 124062 (2018) [arXiv:1802.07055]
  31. [Letter] Action and Observer dependence in Euclidean quantum gravity, Dawood Kothawala, Class. Quantum Grav. 35, 03LT01 (2018) [arXiv:1705.02504]
  32. 2017

  33. Vacuum energy in freely falling frames and spacetime curvature, Dawood Kothawala, [Preprint] [arXiv:1612.08148]
  34. [Book chapter] Accelerated Observers, Thermal Entropy, and Spacetime Curvature, Dawood Kothawala, Gravity and the Quantum (2017) [arXiv:1604.03673] - Fundamental Theories of Physics, Vol. 187, pp 145-167
  35. 2016

  36. Moving mirrors and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem, J. Stargen, Dawood Kothawala, L. Sriramkumar, Phys. Rev. D 94, 025040 (2016) [arXiv:1602.02526]
  37. [Letter] Spacetime with zero point length is two-dimensional at the Planck scale, T. Padmanabhan, S. Chakraborty, Dawood Kothawala, Gen. Rel. Grav. 48: 55 (2016) [arXiv:1507.05669]
  38. 2015

  39. Small scale structure of spacetime: van Vleck determinant and equi-geodesic surfaces, Jaffino Stargen, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 92, 024046 (2015) [arXiv:1503.03793]
  40. 2014

  41. Entropy density of space-time from zero point length, Dawood Kothawala, T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Letts. B 748, 67-69 (2014) [arXiv:1408.3963]
  42. Entropy density of spacetime as a relic from quantum gravity, Dawood Kothawala, T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Rev. D 90, 124060 (2014) [arXiv:1405.4967]
  43. Intrinsic and Extrinsic curvatures in Finsleresque spaces, Dawood Kothawala, Gen. Rel. Grav. 46: 1836 (2014) [arXiv:1406.2672]
  44. 2013

  45. Minimal Length and Small Scale Structure of Spacetime, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 88, 104029 (2013) [arXiv:1307.5618]
  46. [Review article] Lanczos-Lovelock Models of Gravity, T. Padmanabhan, Dawood Kothawala, Physics Reports 531, 115-171 (2013) [arXiv:1302.2151]
  47. Box of Ideal Gas in Free Fall, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Letts. B 720, 410-413 (2013) [arXiv:1108.6301]
  48. Generalized Uncertainty Principles and Quantum Field Theory, V. Husain, Dawood Kothawala, S. Seahra, Phys. Rev. D 87, 025014 (2013) [arXiv:1208.5761]
  49. [Fast Track Communication] Holographic repulsion and confinement in gauge theory, V. Husain, Dawood Kothawala, Class. Quantum Grav. 30, 032001 (2013) [arXiv:1201.5832]
  50. 2012

  51. [Hon’ble Mention essay; Gravity Research Foundation Essay Contest, 2012] Holography, Quantum Gravity and Confinement, V. Husain, Dawood Kothawala, Int. Jour. of Mod. Phys. D 21, 1242005 (2012)
  52. Membrane Paradigm and Horizon Thermodynamics in Lanczos-Lovelock Gravity, S. Kolekar, Dawood Kothawala, J. High Energy Phys. 2012 (2012) 02 [arXiv:1111.1242]
  53. Two Aspects of Black Hole Entropy in Lanczos-Lovelock Models of Gravity, S. Kolekar, Dawood Kothawala, T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Rev. D 85, 064031 (2012) [arXiv:1111.0973]
  54. 2011

  55. [Pedagogical] Duality of force laws and Conformal transformations, Dawood Kothawala, Am. J. Phys. 79, 6 (2011) [arXiv:1010.2238]
  56. Thermodynamic structure of the Einstein tensor, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Rev. D 83, 024026 (2011) [arXiv:1010.2207]
  57. 2010

  58. Response of Unruh-DeWitt detector with time-dependent acceleration, Dawood Kothawala, T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Lett. B 690, 201-206 (2010) [arXiv:0911.1017]
  59. 2009

  60. Path integral duality modified propagators in spacetimes with constant curvature, Dawood Kothawala, L. Sriramkumar, S. Shankaranarayanan, T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Rev. D 80, 044005 (2009) [arXiv:0904.3217]
  61. Thermodynamic structure of Lanczos-Lovelock field eqs from near-horizon symmetries, Dawood Kothawala, T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Rev. D 79, 104020 (2009) [arXiv:0904.0215]
  62. 2008

  63. Is gravitational entropy quantized ?, Dawood Kothawala, T. Padmanabhan, S. Sarkar, Phys. Rev. D 78, 104018 (2008) [arXiv:0807.1481]
  64. Quantum gravitational corrections to stress-energy tensor around rotating BTZ black hole, Dawood Kothawala, S. Shankaranarayanan, L. Sriramkumar, J. High Energy Phys., 09 (2008) 095 [arXiv:0801.0225]
  65. Hawking radiation as tunneling for spherically symmetric black holes: A general treatment, S. Sarkar, Dawood Kothawala, Phys. Lett. B 659, 683-687 (2008) [arXiv:0709.4448]
  66. Radiating black hole solutions in arbitrary dimensions [based on Masters’ work], S. G. Ghosh, Dawood Kothawala, Gen. Rel. Grav. 40:9-21 (2008) [arXiv:0801.4342]
  67. 2007

  68. Einstein’s equations as a thermodynamic identity: The cases of stationary axisymmetric horizons and evolving spherically symmetric horizons, Dawood Kothawala, S. Sarkar, T. Padmanabhan, Phys. Lett. B 652, 338-342 (2007) [arXiv:gr-qc/0701002]
  69. 2004

  70. Generating dynamical black hole solutions [based on Masters’ work], Dawood Kothawala, S. G. Ghosh, Phys. Rev. D 70, 104010 (2004) [arXiv:1007.2500]

Conference Proceedings


  1. [Review article] Synge’s World function and the quantum spacetime, Dawood Kothawala, J. Phys. : Conf. Ser. 2533, 012012 (2023) [arXiv:2304.01995] - Proceedings of DICE 2022, “Spacetime - Matter - Quantum Mechanics”, Castiglioncello
  2. Small-scale structure of spacetime and its implications, Dawood Kothawala, Int. Jour. of Mod. Phys. D 28, (06), 1950079 (2019)
  3. Minimal length and small scale structure of spacetime, Dawood Kothawala - Proceedings of the Spanish Relativity Meeting (ERE) (2014)
  4. Quantum gravitational corrections to propagator in spacetimes with constant curvature, Dawood Kothawala, S. Shankaranarayanan, L. Sriramkumar - Proceedings of the 12th Marcel Grossman Meeting (2010) [arXiv:1002.1132]
  5. Thermodynamic structure of gravitational field equations, Dawood Kothawala, J. Phys. : Conf. Ser. 222, 012014 (2010)
  6. Thermodynamic structure of gravitational field equations from near-horizon symmetries, Dawood Kothawala, J. Phys. : Conf. Ser. 229, 012044 (2010)

Talks and Seminars



Schools & Conferences attended



Teaching & Mentoring


@IITM

Below are the courses I have taught at IITM. The numbers in brackets are Teacher Course Feedback (TCF) scores (upon one), when available.

Besides theory courses, I have also been part of the team handling and designing Laboratory courses for Engineering Physics, Dual Degree, and Masters programs in the Department of Physics.





Pedagogical Lectures and talks



Other pedagogical activities



References

Available on request