Areas of interest

My thesis work was aimed at understanding the behavior of quantum fields in classical electromagnetic and gravitational backgrounds (click here for my complete thesis). Currently, while I largely focus on different issues related to inflationary cosmology and the cosmic microwave background, I continue to investigate various aspects of semi-classical and quantum gravity.

My current research interests include:

  • Inflationary cosmology and the cosmic microwave background
    • Deviations from slow roll inflation and generation of features in the inflationary perturbation spectrum - Comparison with the observations of the cosmic microwave background
    • Generation and imprints of perturbations in multi-field inflationary models
    • Origin and sigantures of primordial non-Gaussianities - Efficient numerical computation of the three-point functions - Validity of the consistency relations
    • Formation of primordial black holes - Generation and signatures of secondary gravitational waves
    • Post-inflationary dynamics - Effects on the evolution of perturbations - Constraining the dynamics during reheating
    • Generation of magnetic fields during inflation - Cross-correlations between magnetic fields and scalar or tensor perturbations - Effects due to parity violation
    • Quantum-to-classical transition of primordial perturbations
    • Planck scale effects during inflation – Imprints on the cosmic microwave background

  • Bouncing scenarios as an alternative to inflation
    • Origin and evolution of perturbations in classical bouncing scenarios - Construction of viable bounces
    • Generation of features in bouncing models
    • Non-Gaussianities in bouncing models - Effects due to non-minimal coupling
    • Origin of magnetic fields in bouncing scenarios - Imprints on the scalar and tensor perturbations

  • Aspects of black hole physics
    • Hawking radiation - Possible quantum gravitational modifications
    • Entropy of black holes and black strings - Corrections to the Bekenstein-Hawking entropy
    • Entropy bounds - Trans-Planckian modes and the validity of entropy bounds in the early universe

  • Quantum field theory in classical backgrounds
    • Unruh effect - Detecting thermal effects in spacetimes with horizons
    • Response of finite time detectors - Detecting effects due to entanglement
    • Vacuum polarization and particle production - Backreaction on the classical background
    • Radiation reaction and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem
    • Fluctuations in the backreaction term - Domain of validity of semi-classical gravity
    • Quantum gravitational corrections to semi-classical effects