About me and the H-AMR group
I am presently leading the simulations of compact objects group at the Center for Relativistic Astrophysics at Georgia Tech. Our collective goal is to use cutting edge numerical simulations to address challenging problems in black hole accretion. We use a combination of simulations, radiative transfer calculations, and semi-analytical models to benchmark theory against observations.
I grew up in Amsterdam and completed my PhD at the University of Amsterdam in September 2019 under the supervision of professor Michiel van der Klis. I subsequently moved as a John Harvard and ITC fellow to Harvard University for 4 years. As a computational astrophysicist I develop general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (GRMHD) simulations of black hole accretion disk, jets and outflows. My research tries to understand the dynamics of accretion disks and their outflows in a wide variety of astrophysical contexts. I am also interested in more fundamental plasma physics theory including magnetic reconnection and shocks in addition to the origin of cosmic-rays, neutrinos, and the nucleosynthesis of heavy elements.
I am also the main developer of H-AMR, which is the first massively parallel GPU accelerated GRMHD code. H-AMR is now used by several groups at Georgia Tech, Northwestern University, the University of Amsterdam, Princeton and the Flatiron Institute. Feel free to contact me for collaboration and/or outreach purposes. Also check out my YouTube channel!
Research Directions
Group Members
Khushi Taori (Graduate Student)
Khushi uses general relativistic ray tracing to turn GRMHD simulations into synthetic light curves and spectra for black hole outbursts. She compares SANE and MAD accretion flows to determine how magnetic flux shapes state transitions and observable variability.
Grant van Gerpen (Undergraduate Student)
Grant studies how relativistic jets evolve from black-hole scales to the much larger scales observed in active galaxies. His work tests what physical processes drive the variability seen in the jet of M87.
Christopher Bambic (Postdoc)
Chris studies the hot, magnetized coronae that produce hard X-rays around luminous accreting black holes. Using radiative two-temperature GRMHD simulations, he investigates how vertical magnetic flux controls the corona’s size and luminosity.
Rohan Mahajani (Graduate Student)
Rohan studies gas accretion onto binary supermassive black holes. His simulations examine how orbital dynamics reshape circumbinary flows and generate time-dependent electromagnetic signatures that could help identify black-hole binaries before merger.