Vanya Demidov
Affiliated Scientist
I specialize in high-energy astrophysics, focusing on plasma physics in extreme environments such as the magnetospheres of neutron stars. In recent years, I have investigated radiatively driven material ablation from magnetars during giant flares, the tearing instability in relativistic pair plasmas with a nonthermal particle distribution, and its application to relativistic MHD turbulence. Currently, I am working on PIC simulations of collisionless, unmagnetized relativistic shocks to study the instabilities and plasma dynamics that lead to the generation of nonlinear structures with enhanced magnetic fields in the precursor of these shocks. I am currently completing my PhD under the supervision of Yuri Lyubarsky (theory) and Uri Keshet (PIC simulations) at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. I have accepted a joint postdoctoral position at Columbia University and the University of Maryland. I plan to work on FRBs in collaboration with Andrei Beloborodov, Lorenzo Sironi, and Joonas Nättilä, as well as neutron star magnetospheres together with Sasha Filippov. I look forward to exploring many exciting physics ideas and collaborating with outstanding scientists. I am very happy to be working at SCEECS!