K Narayan

Biography

Positions held: Present (2014-): Professor of Physics, Chennai Mathematical Institute. Associate Professor (2007-'14), Physics, Chennai Mathematical Institute, and Ramanujan Fellow ('08-'13), Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. Postdoctoral Research Associate (Aug 2004-07), Department of Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India. Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Aug 2002-04), Center for Geometry and Theoretical Physics, Duke University, USA. Ph.D. (2002): Newman Lab. of Elementary Particle Physics, Cornell University, USA. B.Tech. (1997): Engg. Phys., IIT Bombay, India. Teaching: Classical Mechanics II (Spring '08); General Relativity (Fall '08); Quantum Mechanics I (Spring '09); Quantum Mechanics II (Fall '09); Quantum Mechanics III (Spring '10); Electricity & Magnetism III (Fall '10); Classical Mechanics II (Spring '11); Quantum Mechanics (graduate) (Fall '11); Electricity & Magnetism III (Spring '12); Statistical Mechanics III (Fall '12); Electricity & Magnetism I (Spring '13); Introduction to String Theory (Fall '13); Electricity & Magnetism I (Spring '14); Advanced General Relativity (Fall '14); Conformal field theory and worldsheet strings (Spring '15); Classical Mechanics I (Fall '15, B.Sc. 1st yr); Critical phenomena, the renormalization group and quantum field theory (Spring '16); Classical Mechanics I (Fall '16, B.Sc. 1st yr); Introduction to String Theory (Spring '17); Critical phenomena, the renormalization group and quantum field theory (Spring '17); Quantum Mechanics I (Fall '17); Professional activities: National Organizing Committee, Indian Strings Meeting ISM2016, international string theory conference, Dec 15-21, 2016, IISER Pune. National Organizing Committee, Indian Strings Meeting (ISM12) international string theory conference, Dec 16-21, 2012, Puri. Co-organizer, Indian Strings Meeting (ISM08) international string theory conference, Dec 6-13, 2008, Pondicherry. String theory seminar organizer, CGTP, Duke U., Aug '02-'04.

Research Interest

Research interests: broadly, various aspects of string theory and its implications for physical phenomena in particular pertaining to the early universe, many body physics, spacetime geometry, quantum field theory and black holes. Specifically, current and previous research work includes: (i) holographic approaches to non-relativistic or many body systems, in particular in the context of string/M-theory, and associated physics e.g. quantum entanglement, hydrodynamics etc, (ii) explorations of de Sitter space in part via dS/CFT duality, investigations of cosmological (Big-Bang) singularities using holographic methods (dual gauge theories) as well as near singularity string spectra; also cosmological aspects of brane inflation, (iii) spacetime geometry without supersymmetry, possible instabilities therein (manifested by e.g. tachyons in the closed string spectrum) and the resolution of possible singularities which also dovetails with their algebraic geometry description and associated physics e.g. topology change (flips), (iv) gauge theories arising on D-branes and their associated geometry, (v) the dynamics of dyonic states and their internal structure in gauge and string theories, (vi) black holes in general relativity, and so on.