Computational Astrophysicist · Scientific Python Developer · PhD Research Scholar
CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India
I build reproducible software that carries X-ray observations from mission products to defensible scientific measurements. My work spans neutron-star binaries, thermonuclear bursts, burst oscillations, QPO searches, spectral modelling, variability, polarimetry, archive automation, and publication-ready analysis.
MISSION DATA → CALIBRATION → TIMING + SPECTRA → INFERENCE → PEER-REVIEWED SCIENCE
🛰️ ⚙️ 📈 🧠 🌌
Synthetic portfolio visualisation: conceptual workflow, not observational data.
These loops connect the portfolio's software themes to the astrophysical systems being studied.
 Thermonuclear neutron-star burst Runaway surface burning motivates burst timing, morphology, spectroscopy, and oscillation searches. |
 Rotating black hole Relativistic accretion links high-energy observations to compact-object geometry and strong gravity. |
 Neutron-star jets Accretion, magnetic fields, and outflows connect timing and spectral state evolution. |
 Magnetic stellar flare Transient detection and time-resolved analysis reveal rapid energy release in magnetised plasma. |
 Accreting compact binary Roche-lobe overflow feeds the disc–compact-object system that underpins the portfolio's mission pipelines, HIDs, timing, and spectroscopy. |
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Visualisation note: These are AI-created conceptual illustrations with subtle presentation animation. They are not numerical simulations, observational data, or scale-accurate physical models.
Mission experience: NICER · NuSTAR · AstroSat · RXTE · Insight-HXMT · XPoSat · IXPE
Methods: event processing · GTIs · HIDs · power spectra · FFT/(Z^2) searches · PyXspec · MCMC · uncertainty propagation
| Project | Capability |
|---|---|
| Varun's Custom NICER Pipeline | Fault-isolated observation reduction and product orchestration |
| Spectral Product Generation | Concurrent spectra, backgrounds, responses, and grouping |
| PhotonForge | GTI-aware source, background, and net light curves |
| NuSTAR Archive Downloader | Public-catalogue queries and concurrent AWS acquisition |
| HXMT Processing Orchestrator | Transparent research-stage HE/ME/LE orchestration template |
| Project | Capability |
|---|---|
| BurstScope | Burst morphology, timing landmarks, and GTIs |
| Burst Oscillation Search | Trial-aware FFT and (Z^2_1) candidate search |
| mHz QPO Search | Energy-resolved Lomb–Scargle exploration |
| kHz QPO Search | Multi-observation high-frequency search |
| RMS Spectrum Analyzer | GTI-aware PDS and energy-resolved fractional RMS |
| X-ray Dip Classifier | Interactive dipping-event annotation |
| Project | Capability |
|---|---|
| XSpecFit | PyXspec fitting, confidence reporting, and review |
| FluxTrace | Total, intrinsic, bolometric, and component fluxes |
| PyXspec MCMC Explorer | Goodman–Weare chains and posterior visualisation |
| Accretion Rate Calculator | Uncertainty-aware accretion diagnostics |
| Spectral Radius Calculator | Model-dependent disk and blackbody radii |
| Project | Capability |
|---|---|
| Hardness Intensity Generator | Background-subtracted HIDs and FITS tables |
| HID Parameter Animator | Time-ordered HID and parameter animations |
| Parameter Trend Explorer | Interactive all-pairs trend screening |
Each project documents assumptions, dependencies, permission terms, and validation boundaries. Syntax success is not presented as scientific validation.
Automatically refreshed daily and available on demand.
- accretion-rate-calculator — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- burst-oscillation-search — Search X-ray burst event data for trial-corrected FFT and Z-squared oscillation candidates.
- burstscope-xray-characterisation — Interactive Python workflow for measuring timing landmarks and generating GTIs from thermonuclear X-ray burst light curves.
- custom-hxmt-processing-orchestrator — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- fluxtrace-xray-flux-analysis — Measure model-dependent X-ray fluxes and uncertainties across observation sets with PyXspec.
- hardness-intensity-generator — Generate background-subtracted X-ray hardness-intensity diagrams and reusable FITS products.
- hid-parameter-animator — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- khz-qpo-search — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- mhz-qpo-search — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- nustar-public-archive-downloader — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- photonforge-xray-light-curves — PhotonForge: concurrent, GTI-aware X-ray light-curve generation and background subtraction
- pyxspec-mcmc-explorer — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- rms-spectrum-analyzer — Measure GTI-aware, energy-resolved X-ray fractional RMS with Stingray.
- spectral-product-generation — Concurrent, GTI-aware generation and organization of X-ray spectra, responses, backgrounds, and analysis products.
- spectral-radius-calculator — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- varun-custom-nicer-pipeline — M. Varun's independent, fault-tolerant Python pipeline for NICER data reduction and Level-3 product orchestration.
- xray-dip-classifier — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- xray-parameter-trend-explorer — Independent X-ray astronomy research software by M. Varun.
- xspecfit-spectral-fitting — Automate multi-observation X-ray spectral fitting, uncertainty reporting, and review with PyXspec.
- Discovery of a 459 Hz Burst Oscillation in XTE J1810−189 with NICER — The Astrophysical Journal 995, 153 (2025). DOI
- Spectral and Type I X-ray Burst Studies of M15 X-2 Using NICER Observations — Journal of High Energy Astrophysics 49, 100461 (2026). DOI
- Spectral and Type I X-ray Burst Studies of 4U 1702−429 Using AstroSat Observations — MNRAS 529, 2234–2241 (2024). DOI
- First Polarimetric View of GX 349+2 with IXPE — The Astrophysical Journal 985, 229 (2025). DOI
- End-to-end ownership from event products to traceable scientific outputs
- Research-grade Python and Linux automation across mission archives
- Signal processing, spectral inference, uncertainty propagation, and statistical caution
- Failure-aware pipelines, checkpoints, structured reports, and reproducible figures
- Peer-reviewed experience turning complex observations into defensible results
Open to research-software engineering, scientific data science, mission-data operations, space-sector R&D, and Python development roles where careful computation supports real discovery.
