Galactic Archaeology

I am an observational astronomer studying the oldest stars and stellar streams in the Milky Way. Our Galaxy is my laboratory and metal-poor stars are my time machines.

My work spans catalogue creation, distance derivation, isochrone fitting, stellar streams, spectral data reduction and analysis, photometry and spectroscopy of metal-poor stars, and astrostatistics. I combine Gaia, the Pristine survey, spectroscopic surveys, and follow-up observations from telescopes in La Palma.

I was born and raised in Chennai, India. I earned my BE from Anna University, my MSc in Astrophysics from the University of Glasgow, and my PhD in Astronomy from the University of Groningen with Else Starkenburg and Amina Helmi.

Akshara at an observatory

Recent Updates

New fellowships, moves, and milestones.

Short CV

A compact gallery of research training and fellowships.

Kapteyn Galactica group

PhD Astronomy

2020-2024, University of Groningen. Thesis: A new view of the old Milky Way.

Gravitational waves group in Glasgow

MSc Astrophysics

2019-2020, University of Glasgow. Gravitational lens models and binary black holes.

Antenna group in Chennai

BE Engineering

2015-2019, Anna University. Tri-band wearable antenna for off-body communication.

University of Victoria Mitacs fellows

Mitacs Fellow

Summer 2018, University of Victoria. Merger fractions in local AGN hosts.

Institute for Plasma Research

IAS Fellow

Summer 2017, Institute for Plasma Research. Whistler waves in laboratory plasma.

Paper Gallery

Selected publications and projects. Each card has a page with the original explanation and a direct paper link.

Gaia RVS very metal-poor star catalogue figure

Gaia's Brightest Very Metal-Poor Stars

A metallicity catalogue of bright VMP stars from Gaia RVS spectra.

Reduced proper motion halo catalogue figure

Reduced Proper Motion Halo

A Gaia DR3 halo catalogue reaching beyond reliable parallax distances.

Stellar streams in the reduced proper motion halo

Stellar Streams

Complex stream morphologies in GD-1, Jhelum, Phlegethon, and Sagittarius.

AGN merger connection figure

AGN-Merger Connection

Deep CFIS imaging of AGN hosts and galaxy merger signatures.

Tri-band wearable antenna figure

Physics and Engineering

Whistler waves, wearable antennas, and early engineering research.

Contributing author publications

Contributing Author Work

More publications in Galactic Archaeology and nearby-universe astrophysics.

Media, EDI, and Outreach

Talks, mentoring, public astronomy, and community work.

GALAH Science Meeting

Recorded science talk from 2021.

Netherlands Astronomers Club

Recorded astronomy talk from 2021.

Astro Club Interview

How I started the Astronomy Club at Anna University.

Panel discussion in Kuala Lumpur

EDI and Mentoring

Panel discussion, inclusive astronomy work, mentoring, and open science.

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International Day of Women and Girls in Science poster

Women and Girls in Science

Events organised with Young Minds Groningen and the European Physical Society.

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Astro Club of CEG event

Astro Club of CEG

Observing nights, space talks, Python workshops, and student projects.

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Hobbies

Climbing, hiking, cycling, plants, cooking, singing, yoga, and the occasional blog.

Rock climbing Rock climbing Rock climbing Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Mountain hiking Cycling Plants Plants Singing Cooking Yoga Cake

Blog

Separate posts, with more entries coming soon.

Homegrown article cover

Why is dark skin a joke?

A personal journey on colourism, jokes, and belonging.

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Gaia spacecraft illustration

Notes from the Milky Way

Coming soon.

Preview
Observing in La Palma

Observing Diary

Coming soon.

Preview

Contact

For research, outreach, mentoring, and collaborations.