Mainak Singha

Mainak Singha is an astrophysicist who specializes in the intersection of supermassive black holes and cosmic reionization. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba in 2023 with a thesis titled "Supermassive Black Holes Driven Super-Winds (Outflows) in the Nearby Universe." Some of his notable findings include the detection of the origins of warm, ionized outflows in nearby quasars.

A full list of published papers can be found here: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9DiutIkAAAAJ&hl=en

Research Advisor:

(1) NASA Goddard Space Flight Center 2022-2023

Co-advising NASA intern

Julissa Sarmiento (GERM fellow), NASA intern

Project: “Finding black holes in Green Peas”

(2) Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba 2018-2022

Supervising summer research students\smallskip

Daniel Turon, undergraduate student (NSERC fellow), University of Manitoba, 2021.

Project: “Jet-entrainment in the brightest cluster galaxy Hercules A”

Alan Nguyen, undergraduate student (NSERC fellow),, University of Manitoba, 2019-20.

Project: “A census of AGN driven outflows in SDSS-III BOSS galaxies for z<0.6”

Robin Dhillon, undergraduate student, University of British Columbia, 2018 and 2020.

Project: “Large scale outflow in nearby galaxy HE0232-0900”} 2018.

Project: "Possible large scale outflow in Low Excitation Radio Galaxy 3C 264?", 2020.

(3) Graduate Teaching Assistant (and Grader): 2018 -2022

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba,

PHYS 2600: Electromagnetic Field Theory (Fall)

PHYS 2152: Modern Physics for Engineers (Winter)

PHYS 1050: Classical Mechanics (Fall, winter)

PHYS 1070: Waves and Modern Physics (Winter)

PHYS 1020: General Physics (Summer)

Duties include:

• Leading classes of up to 35 students.
• Planning and delivering well-organized tutorials.
• Helping students with problems and explained complex ideas to students of all abilities.
• Assisting students during the labs with the experiments.
• Grading the lab reports and tutorial quizzes within a week and provided effective feedback to the students.
• Invigilating midterm and final exams.
• Holding weekly office hours for students.
• Responding to student inquiries via e-mail.
• Providing additional learning support for students needing help.

(4) Junior and leaving cert. tutor: 2016-2017

Student Support Services-3s, Dublin, Ireland

Responsible for helping students to understand various aspects of Mathematics and Science.

Duties include:

• Using excellent communication skills to interact with students effectively.
• Assessing students’ strengths and weaknesses; and gave feedback about their progress.
• Using time-management skills to divide the time of the class in such a manner that the student can practice the three subjects on the same day.
• Helping students to prepare for advanced-level competitions in Mathematics and Physics.

(5) Occasional Teacher (volunteer) 2012-1015

Department of Social service and NSS, St. Xavier's College (Kolkata)

Responsible for assisting in the educational and social development of pupils under the principal's direction and guidance and responding to student's strengths and needs during lessons.

Duties included:

• Planning and delivering well-structured lessons in Mathematics, Science and English in a class of 20 7th-grade students grade once a week.
• Assessing students strengths and weaknesses; and gave feedback about their progress. 
• Communicating regularly with colleagues to discuss issues and offered additional support to colleagues and students if necessary.

Ph.D. Physics, University of Manitoba, 2017-2023

Thesis: Supermassive black holes driven super winds in the nearby universe

Advisors: Drs. Chris O'Dea and Stefi Baum

M.Sc Space Science & Technology, 2015-2016

Thesis: GW150914: The birth of gravitational wave astronomy

Advisors: Drs. Adrian Ottewill and Barry Wardell

Committee Service:

• AWESOM Science Analysis Group (Overview of ongoing initiatives), Cosmic Origins, NASA GSFC, 2023-present.
• Judge AAS Beatrice Tinsley Prize committee, American Astronomical Society, 2022-present.
• Judge, Physical & Computational Sciences, Summer Undergraduate Research Student Virtual Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, University of Manitoba, 2022.
• Award committee member, AAS Beatrice Tinsley award committee, American Astronomical Society, 2022.
• Valedictorian, PSLP cohort 3 graduation ceremony, University of Manitoba, 2022.
• Chair, University of Manitoba Graduate Students Association (UMGSA) Executive Review Committee, 2022.
• Conference session chair, 'Nearby Galaxies' session at CASCA AGM, 2021.
• Panelist, Graduate student workshop, CASCA AGM, 2021.
• Judge (invited to), AAS Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student competition, American Astronomical Society, 2021.
• Faculty hiring Committee, Astro-statistics Faculty search, 2021.
• Member, University Disciplinary Committee, University of Manitoba, 2020-2021.
• Co-chair, University of Manitoba Graduate Students Association (UMGSA) Executive Review Committee, 2020 to present.
• Conference student-poster review panel, CASCA (Canadian Astronomical Society), 2020-21.
• Member, University of Manitoba Graduate Students Association (UMGSA) Executive Review Committee, 2019 to 2020.
• Physics and Astronomy Graduate Studies Committee, University of Manitoba, 2019 to present.
• Physics and Astronomy GSA Internal Committee, 2019 to present.
• UMGSA internal representative from the department of Physics and Astronomy, 2019 to present.
• Physics and Astronomy Colloquium Committee, 2018 to 2019.
• President of Physics and Astronomy Graduate Student Association (PAGSA), University of Manitoba, 2018 to 2019.
• Graduate student representative of University of Manitoba at CASCA graduate student committee, 2018 to 2022.
• Faculty Hiring Committee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba, Subatomic Physics, 2018.
• Radiation shielding design lead, University of Manitoba Space Application and Technology (UMSAT), Payload team, 2018 to 2020.
• Outreach Committee, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Manitoba, 2017-2023.

Seminar Series Created and organized

• Founder & Organizer, ”Physics & Astronomy Student Seminar”, University of Manitoba, 2022

An informal seminar series dedicated to improving scientific communication

skills for both undergraduate and graduate students.

• Founder & Organizer, ”Science Coffee”, University of Manitoba, 2018-2019

An informal seminar series dedicated to showcasing the ongoing research within

the department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manitoba and aimed at

strengthening the collaboration between different research groups at all levels.

• Co-organizer,”Canadian Telescope Seminars (CaTS)”, CASCA 2021-2022

A seminar series dedicated to highlighting the opportunities provided to Canadian

graduate students by the many and diverse astronomical observatories located in

Canada or heavily involved in Canadian astronomy. 

• Co-organizer, "Canadian Astrophysics Technique \textbf{Seminars (CATS)”, CASCA 2021-2022

A seminar series dedicated to showcasing the astrophysical to graduate students.

Colloquia Organized

• Physics and Astronomy Graduate Student Colloquia, University of Manitoba, 2018-2019
• PAGSA (Physics and Astronomy Graduate Student Association) Talk Series, 2018 to 2019

Workshops organized

• Co-organizer, CASCA Graduate student workshop. 2019-2021
• Climate resilience workshop as part of President's Student Leadership Program (PSLP). 2021

Referee for

• Monthly Notices for Royal Astronomical Society
• Astronomy & Astrophysics

Mentorship

Constellation Mentor, NASA GSFC 2023-present

Mentoring post-bac interns at GSFC with their career plans and help them learn new transferable skills.

Career Mentor, Alumni Volunteering Program, University College Dublin, 2021-present

Mentoring undergraduate Astronomy students to help them choosing the appropriate career in the space industry.

Welcome mentor, Intercultural Leadership Program, University of Manitoba, 2020

Mentoring international graduate students in their first semester to get used to their new environment.

Student Ambassador, University of Manitoba, 2020-2022

Global Alumni Ambassador, University College Dublin, 2020-2021

Other leadership experience:

President's Student Leadership Program, University of Manitoba, 2021-2022

PSLP 3rd cohort consisting of 23 students (selected among 30,000 students)

1. Executed a summer-service project in collaboration with 2 local organizations.

2.Executed a project on improving science communication on Physics \& Astronomy students

Faculty of Science Graduate Fellowship (Cangene Award), University of Manitoba

Ernst and Ingrid Bock Award, University of Manitoba

Konzelmann Award, University of Manitoba

Superior Global Graduate Scholarship, University College Dublin

INSPIRE Scholarship, Government of India

Telescope Specific Experience:

Chandra X-ray observatory (CXO):

Extensive imaging and analysis experience with imaging for brightest cluster galaxies, quasars and low-luminosity AGN. Involved with developing image processing pipeline to trace faint signals from hidden quasars using unsupervised learning algorithm.

Very Large Baseline Array (VLBA):

Successfully proposing for telescope time as the PI; reducing and imaging continuum data for both radio-quiet and radio-loud AGN.

James Webb Space Telescope (JWST):

Experience with reducing NIRSpec, developing analysis pipeline for AGN at redshift, z=0.01-7.

Very Large Telescope (VLT):

Experience with multiple spectrographs (being co-investigator of multiple successful observing proposals, data reduction using ESOReflex)

Very Large Array (VLA):

Extensive experience (a strong theoretical background specific to this telescope, planning observation, data reduction using CASA) 

Hubble Space Telescope (HST):

Experienced with data analysis of Wide Field Imaging Camera 3 (WFC3), Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS). Used HST data for 2 research projects. 

Computing Skills:

Programming: Python, C, Fortran 90, HTML, CSS, Javascript.

Analysis: Astropy, XSPEC, CASA, DS9, Topcat, QFitsView, Gnuplot.

Presentation: LaTex, Matplotlib, Seaborn, Plotly, Adobe Illustrator.

OS: Linux (Scientific Linux, Ubuntu, Elementary OS), macOS, Windows.

Machine learning: Scikit-learn, Pytorch, Tensorflow, Large Language Model (python based).

Multi-wavelength data reduction:

UV: PyRAF, CALCOS (data reduction software for Cosmic Origin Spectrograph).

Optical: MUSE data reduction using EsoReflex.

Radio: VLA data reduction using CASA.

Multi-wavelength Analysis Experience:

X-ray: Spectral modeling (XMM data), Image analysis (Chandra data), Chandra catalogue data.

UV: COStools (analysis software for Cosmic Origin Spectrograph). Experience with HST/STIS spectroscopic data.

Optical: Extensive experience with observational techniques, optical spectroscopy (e.g., X-SHOOTER); integral field spectroscopy (e.g., MUSE- both wide-field mode and narrow-field mode, VIMOS, PMAS).

Radio: Quantitative analysis of VLA data in CASA, analysis of e-MERLIN, VLBI data in python.

Space Mission design/ Satellite Development:

TSAT4 (CubeSat): Radiation shielding in TSAT4 in the University of Manitoba Space Application Technology (came first in the CubeSat competition all across Canada), University of Manitoba, 2018.

MEKSat (CanSat): Developing the science case (ozone layer depletion), manufacturing and assembling the payload, University College Dublin, 2016.

Molγ (Concept space mission): Developing the scientific objective of a concept mission focusing on the planet Mercury, University College Dublin, 2016.