Ph.D. : Solar Physics, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital-India, 2011 M.Phil. : Physics, CCS University, Meerut (UP), India, 2006 B.Ed. : Physics and Mathematics, CCS University, Meerut (UP), India, 2005 M.Sc. : Physics, Meerut College, CCS University, Meerut (UP), India, 2004 B.Sc. : Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, CCS University, Meerut (UP), India, 2002
Bio
Dr. Pankaj Kumar is a Research Associate Professor at AU. He joined AU in April 2020 as a Research Assistant Professor. Dr. Kumar Performs his research activities in the Space Weather laboratory (code 674) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He joined GSFC in April 2017 through an appointment to the NASA postdoc program. Prior to this, he held senior research scientist and postdoc positions at Korea Astronomy and Space Science institute (KASI) and spent more than 6 years in South Korea.
Dr. Kumar has more than 15 years research experience in solar physics. His research focusses on the initiation of solar eruptions (CMEs, Jets), magnetic reconnection/particle acceleration in solar flares, and wave/oscillation in solar atmosphere. He has numerous experience in the analysis and interpretation of multiwavelength data from NASA’s missions (SDO, IRIS, STEREO,HINODE, RHESSI, SOHO etc.). He has contributed to the understanding of flare/CME initiation (filament interaction, loop-loop interaction, Kink instability), flux rope formation and eruption, excitation of slow and fast mode waves in coronal loops, origin of quasi-periodic pulsations in solar flares, breakout jets, radio and EUV observations of plasmoid formation and ejection in flare current sheet etc. Dr. Kumar also has experience in the ground based Hα observations of the Sun and has participated in eclipse observations as well. Dr. Kumar has served as a potential reviewer for journals (e.g, ApJ, ApJL, A&A, A&A Letters, Solar Physics, Space Science Reviews, Frontiers in Space Science etc.). He has written many science nuggets and participated in several outreach activities. Dr. Kumar is also a member of American Geophysical Union and has been awarded several academic prizes (e.g., research fellowships, KASI best postdoc award, NPP fellowship, NASA HGI, NSF grants).
