Dr. Koustav Chandra
Location Potsdam
Main Focus
I am broadly interested in developing methods to detect and analyze compact binary signals, with the goal of testing general relativity in the strong-field, dynamical regime. To this end, I have designed templated searches for quasi-spherical binary black hole mergers and employed machine learning techniques to enhance/ complement current analyses. Using detected signals, I conduct precision tests of Einstein’s theory through black hole spectroscopy and parametrized waveform analyses. In addition, I assess the data-analysis readiness of next-generation gravitational-wave observatories, including Cosmic Explorer and the Einstein Telescope, thereby contributing to the science case for these detectors.
Publications
Here's a link to my publications on INSPIRE.
Curriculum Vitae
I earned my Integrated Master’s degree in Physics and Astronomy from the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, India, in 2018. Subsequently, I went on to complete my PhD at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 2023, under the supervision of Prof. Archana Pai, focusing on gravitational-wave detection and the characterization of intermediate-mass black hole binaries. Following a postdoctoral appointment in Prof. B. Sathyaprakash' group at the Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos, Pennsylvania State University (2023–2025), I joined the Albert Einstein Institute in Potsdam, where I currently hold a postdoctoral position.