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Rahul Kumar Kushwaha

Photo of Rahul Kumar Kushwaha

Address:

4800 Oak Grove Drive

M/S 183-301

Pasadena, CA 91109

Curriculum Vitae:

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Member of:

Laboratory Studies

Biography

Dr. Rahul Kushwaha is a postdoctoral researcher at Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) with research experience in experimental planetary science and astrochemistry. Before joining JPL, he was a postdoctoral researcher at Institute for Nuclear Research (Atomki), Hungary, since October 2021. At Atomki, he was part of a team responsible for developing and installing a low-temperature astrochemistry set-up under the Europlanet 2024 RI. Dr. Kushwaha, in particular, performed numerous experiments on high-energy ion and electron irradiation and thermal processing of ices relevant to planetary icy bodies, astrobiological/astrochemical interest, and probing using infrared spectroscopy and mass spectrometry.

Dr. Kushwaha completed his PhD in experimental astrochemistry at PRL and MLSU, India, and then worked as a postdoctoral researcher at PRL for one year. While at PRL, he was involved in setting-up instruments for astrochemistry and conducted experiments on astrochemical ices to understand their morphology and chemical evolution. In addition, he has expertise in studying photo-irradiation and thermal processing of planetary ice analogs to analyze the formation of complex molecules. At JPL, he is involved in conducting experimental investigations of ice analogs of outer solar system bodies. His research focuses on understanding the changes in composition and other properties of these ice analogs due to specific physical conditions such as temperature, UV photons, energetic electrons, and ions.

Education

PhD in Experimental astrochemistry (Physics), PRL & MLSU, India (2021)

M.Sc. (Physics), University of Allahabad, India (2015)

B. Sc. (Physics, Mathematics & Chemistry), University of Allahabad, India (2013)

Professional Experience

Postdoctoral Researcher, JPL (2023-)

Postdoctoral Researcher, ATOMKI, Hungary (2021-2023)

Postdoctoral Researcher, PRL, India (2020-2021)

Research Interests

Experimental planetary science and astrochemistry, Radiation and Photo-chemistry of ices

Selected Awards

DST-DFG award to participate in 69th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, Lindau, Germany (2019)

Junior Research Fellow, CSIR-UGC, India (2016)

Selected Publications

  1. Radiolytic Cyanide and Cyanate Formation in Astrophysical Ice Analogues, K. K. Rahul, P. Herczku, D. V. Mifsud, S. T. S. Kovács, B. Sulik, R. Rácz, G. Lakatos, P. A. Hailey, Z. Kaňuchová, S. Biri, S. Ioppolo, R. W. McCullough, N. J. Mason and Z. Juhász (Under preparation)
  2. Residue from vacuum ultraviolet irradiation of benzene ices: Insights into the physical structure of astrophysical dust. K K Rahul, E Shivakarthik, J K Meka, A Das, V Chandrasekaran, B N Rajasekhar, J -I Lo, B -M Cheng, P Janardhan, A Bhardwaj, N J Mason, B Sivaraman, Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 231, 117797, 2020
  3. Infrared attenuation due to phase changes from amorphous to crystalline observed in astrochemical propargyl ether ices, K K Rahul, J K Meka, S Pavithraa, P Gorai, A Das, J -I Lo, B N Rajasekhar, B -M Cheng, P Janardhan, A Bhardwaj, B Sivaraman, Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 224, 117393, 2020.
  4. Bombardment of CO Ice by Cosmic Rays. I. Experimental Insights into the Microphysics of Molecule Destruction and Sputtering, Alexei V. Ivlev, Barbara M. Giuliano, Zoltán Juhász, Péter Herczku, Béla Sulik, Duncan V. Mifsud, Sándor T. S. Kovács, K. K. Rahul, Richárd Rácz, Sándor Biri, István Rajta, István Vajda, Nigel J. Mason, Sergio Ioppolo, and Paola Caselli, The Astrophysical Journal, 944, 181, 2023.
  5. Sulfur Ion Implantations Into Condensed CO2 : Implications for Europa, D. V. Mifsud, Z. Kaňuchová, P. Herczku, Z. Juhász, S. T. S. Kovács, G. Lakatos, K. K. Rahul, R. Rácz, B. Sulik, S. Biri, I. Rajta, I. Vajda, S. Ioppolo, R. W. McCullough, N. J. Mason, Geophysical Research Letters, 49, e2022GL100698, 2022.
  6. Energetic electron irradiations of amorphous and crystalline sulphur-bearing astrochemical ices, Duncan V. Mifsud, Péter Herczku, Richárd Rácz, K. K. Rahul, Sándor T. S. Kovács, Zoltán Juhász, Béla Sulik, Sándor Biri, Robert W. McCullough, Zuzana Kaňuchová, Sergio Ioppolo, Perry A. Hailey and Nigel J. Mason, Frontiers in Chemistry, 10:1003163, 2022.
  7. Ozone production in electron irradiated CO2:O2 ices. D V Mifsud, Z Kaňuchová, S Ioppolo, P Herczku, A Traspas Muiña, B Sulik, K K Rahul, P A Hailey, N J Mason, Z Juhász, Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 22, 24, 2022.
  8. Vacuum ultraviolet photo-absorption spectra of an in-situ synthesized peptide precursor: hydroxylamine on a cold astrochemical dust analogue. R Thombre, D Gupta, S Pavithraa, J -I Lo, S -L Chou, Y -J Wu, K K Rahul, B -M Cheng, H Hill, A Bhardwaj, B N Raja Sekhar, N J Mason, B Sivaraman, The European Journal D, 76, 2022.
  9. Vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption spectra of icy isoprene and its oligomers. R Ramachandran, S Pavithraa, J K Meka, K K Rahul, J -I Lo, S -L Chou, B -M Cheng, B N Rajasekhar, A Bhardwaj, N J Mason, B Sivaraman, Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 268, 120586, 2022.
  10. Mid-IR and VUV spectroscopic characterisation of thermally processed and electron irradiated CO2 astrophysical ice analogues. D V Mifsud, Z Kaňuchová, S Ioppolo, P Herczku, A Traspas Muiña, T A Field, P A Hailey, Z Juhász, S T S Kovács, N J Mason, R W McCullough, S Pavithraa, K K Rahul, B Paripás, B Sulik, S -L, Chou, J -I Lo, A Das, B -M Cheng, B N Rajasekhar, A Bhardwaj, B Sivaraman, Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy, 385, 111599, 2022