arXiv subjects

S. Nair

Publications and source records attributed to S. Nair.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

First Plasma Commissioning and Operational Highlights from India's First Spherical Tokamak at IPR

A compact Spherical Tokamak(ST) is commissioned at Institute for Plasma Research (IPR) to explore low aspect ratio tokamak physics and technologies that complement to the existing high aspect ratio tokamaks namely ADITYA-U and SST-1 by enabling studies on non-inductive startup, current drive in over dense plasmas, and shaped plasma physics on a low cost platform. The device, India's first spherical tokamak has completed major mechanical, magnetic, and electrical integration, and the coil system has been successfully tested with series of integrated commissioning. First plasma experiments have been carried out with a modest Ohmic system assisted by a 2.45GHz microwave system, supported by a centralized control and data acquisition system. An initial diagnostic set comprising visible imaging, spectroscopy, magnetics, and radiation monitors required for machine operation has been installed. This paper presents the integrated commissioning experiences and first plasma experiments of the newly installed machine.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2026

Understanding the formation and eruption of sigmoidal structure through data-driven modeling of magnetic evolution in solar active region 13500

We investigate the magnetic origin of the coronal mass ejection (CME) that occurred on November 28, 2023, at 19:50UT from active region (AR) 13500 located near the solar disk-center. The eruption was associated with an S-shaped sigmoidal structure formed by the inner AR polarities along a sheared polarity inversion line, while the outer polarities evolved through proper motions. During November 26-28, the AR exhibited a decrease in net magnetic flux while progressively injecting magnetic helicity and energy into the corona toward the eruption onset, highlighting the key role of helicity-injection in triggering eruptions. To simulate this magnetic evolution, we employed a data-driven magnetofrictional (MF) simulation starting 2.8 days prior to the eruption. The energy input for the model was constrained using the observed energy injection through an ad-hoc parameter. The initial potential-field configuration gradually evolved into a sheared-arcade and eventually developed into a twisted flux rope (FR) over the observed time-scale. Proxy emission maps based on electric currents show remarkable morphological agreement between the simulated and observed sigmoidal structure. The average FR-core twist increasingly builds-up leading the FR to initiate slow-rise motion of FR top from 50Mm until its eruption onset at 80Mm. Importantly, the ratio of current-carrying to total relative-helicity increased from 0.13 at FR formation to 0.30 at eruption, when the FR core entered the torus-unstable regime, suggesting an association between torus-instability and a threshold helicity ratio. These results demonstrate that data-driven MF simulations can successfully reproduce the evolving coronal magnetic configuration and may provide a robust tool for assessing the eruptive potential of ARs, particularly the helicity ratio.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2025

Anisotropic Strain Relaxation-Induced Directional Ultrafast Carrier Dynamics in RuO2 Films

Ultrafast light-matter interactions inspire potential functionalities in picosecond optoelectronic applications. However, achieving directional carrier dynamics in metals remains challenging due to strong carrier scattering within a multiband environment, typically expected to isotropic carrier relaxation. In this study, we demonstrate epitaxial RuO2/TiO2 (110) heterostructures grown by hybrid molecular beam epitaxy to engineer polarization-selectivity of ultrafast light-matter interactions via anisotropic strain engineering. Combining spectroscopic ellipsometry, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and optical pump-probe spectroscopy, we revealed the strong anisotropic transient optoelectronic response of strain-engineered RuO2/TiO2 (110) heterostructures along both in-plane [001] and [1-10] crystallographic directions. Theoretical analysis identifies strain-induced modifications in band nesting as the underlying mechanism for enhanced anisotropic carrier relaxation. These findings establish epitaxial strain engineering as a powerful tool for tuning anisotropic optoelectronic responses in metallic systems, paving the way for next-generation polarization-sensitive ultrafast optoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2011

Generalized Parton Distributions of the Photon

We present a first calculation of the generalized parton distributions of the photon(both polarized and unpolarized) using overlaps of light-front wave functions at leading order in αand zeroth order in α_s; for non-zero transverse momentum transfer and zero skewness. We present the novel parton content of the photon in transverse position space.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2005

Helical Jet in the Gravitationally Lensed Blazar PKS1830-211

Recent radio VLBI observations of the complex gravitationally lensed system PKS1830-211 have thrown up some questions with regard to the processes occuring at the heart of the blazar source at a redshift of 2.51, which is viewed almost straight down the jet axis. This work links, by a model of a helical jet tracked by ballistically ejected plasmons from a precessing nozzle, observations on the scale of tens of microarcseconds to those on the scale of milliarcseconds. An observed jet precession period of 1.08 years is inferred from the model, translating to an intrinsic period of 30.8 years for a source at redshift 2.51 and an assumed jet bulk velocity of 0.99 c. This fits well with the picture of an active galactic nucleus hosting a binary black hole system at its centre, with the jet emitted by one member of the system, and the precession as being due to its orbital motion around its companion.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Changes in the measured image separation of the gravitational lens system, PKS 1830-211

We present eight epochs of 43 GHz, dual-polarisation VLBA observations of the gravitational lens system PKS 1830-211, made over fourteen weeks. A bright, compact ``core'' and a faint extended ``jet'' are clearly seen in maps of both lensed images at all eight epochs. The relative separation of the radio centroid of the cores (as measured on the sky) changes by up to 87 micro arcsec between subsequent epochs. A comparison with the previous 43 GHz VLBA observations (Garrett et al. 1997) made 8 months earlier show even larger deviations in the separation of up to 201 micro arcsec. The measured changes are most likely produced by changes in the brightness distribution of the background source, enhanced by the magnification of the lens. A relative magnification matrix that is applicable on the milliarcsecond scale has been determined by relating two vectors (the ``core-jet'' separations and the offsets of the polarised and total intensity emission) in the two lensed images. The determinant of this matrix, -1.13 +/-0.61, is in good agreement with the measured flux density ratio of the two images. The matrix predicts that the 10 mas long jet, that is clearly seen in previous 15 and 8.4 GHz VLBA observations (Garrett et al. 1997, Guirado et al. 1999), should correspond to a 4 mas long jet trailing to the south-east of the SW image. The clear non-detection of this trailing jet is a strong evidence for sub-structure in the lens and may require more realistic lens models to be invoked, e.g. Nair & Garrett (2000).

astro-ph↗

arXiv1998

Modeling the ten-image lensed system B1933+503

A gravitational lens model is presented for the newly discovered 10-image system B1933+503. The underlying object, revealed by modeling, is a triple radio source on the scale of a couple of hundred mas that is well-aligned along the line of sight with a foreground and somewhat flattened lensing galaxy, whose orientation and location match that of an observed galaxy, known to be at a redshift of 0.755. Uncertainties in the modeling are obtained by a Monte Carlo exercise. Observational tests of the lens model are proposed, and the time delays between various pairs of images are determined as the core of the source is known to be significantly variable. Future observations of the lens hold the key to using B1933+503 to constrain Hubble's Constant. Despite the absence of a source redshift, the system's utility as a probe of the lens galaxy's structure is unparalleled as it provides a surfeit of easily identifiable constraints for modeling the system.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

The complex gravitational lens system B1933+503

We report the discovery of the most complex arcsec-scale radio gravitational lens system yet known. B1933+503 was found during the course of the CLASS survey and MERLIN and VLA radio maps reveal up to 10 components. Four of these are compact and have flat spectra; the rest are more extended and have steep spectra. The background lensed object appears to consist of a flat spectrum core (quadruply imaged) and two compact "lobes" symmetrically disposed relative to the core. One of the lobes is quadruply imaged while the other is doubly imaged. An HST observation of the system with the WFPC2 shows a galaxy with an axial ratio of 0.5, but none of the images of the background object are detected. A redshift of 0.755 has been measured for the lens galaxy.

astro-ph↗

arXiv1997

A complete infrared Einstein ring in the gravitational lens system B1938+666

We report the discovery, using NICMOS on the Hubble Space Telescope, of an arcsecond-diameter Einstein ring in the gravitational lens system B1938+666. The lensing galaxy is also detected, and is most likely an early-type. Modelling of the ring is presented and compared with the radio structure from MERLIN maps. We show that the Einstein ring is consistent with the gravitational lensing of an extended infrared component, centred between the two radio components.

astro-ph↗