Chandra Prakash

MSc Thesis: From Quantum Fields to Cosmic Structures: Tracing the Early Universe through Correlation Functions

Under the kind guidance of Dr. Debaprashad Maity

Our current understanding of gravity is limited by observational constraints. While building a particle accelerator the size of the solar system isn't feasible, the universe has provided an alternative. Inflation, the highest-energy process in the early universe, acts as a natural laboratory. My thesis explored how particle production and quantum field dynamics during this era imprint on cosmological correlation functions, with a focus on non-Gaussianity and observable signatures in the CMB. This work introduces reheating into collider physics to study its distinct imprint on the CMB, aiming to make a distinction between signals of particle production and particle interactions.

• View Thesis (PDF)

BSc Thesis: Wave particle duality and Quantum Field Theory

Under the kind guidance of Prof. Lalita Rane

My undergraduate thesis was driven by a fundamental question: how does the de Broglie hypothesis survive in Quantum Field Theory? I was captivated by the problem that for ultra-relativistic particles, the corresponding wavelength becomes extremely small. This led me to investigate whether such particles exhibit wave-particle duality at all. My research explored the eigenvalue of the momentum operator in QFT to conclude that the de Broglie hypothesis is a statement on the eigenvalue of the momentum eigenstate.

Black Hole Entropy using Brick Wall Method

This project studied the statistical interpretation of black hole entropy using 't Hooft's brick wall method. I generalized the entire process and expressed the final form in terms of the metric coefficient.

• View Preprint on arXiv

Entanglement Entropy via Heat Kernel and Replica Trick

I extended the concept of entanglement entropy from quantum mechanics to quantum field theory and applied it to spacetimes with a Lorentz-violating field. My work explores how such a field affects entanglement entropy and finds that it converges with the one derived from Bekenstein's arguments. I also investigated two widely used procedures for calculating entanglement entropy, finding that the heat kernel method requires certain modifications in the presence of non-minimal coupling.

• View on ResearchGate

Rotating Black Holes in Lorentz-Violating Gravity (Black Hole Shadow)

This project was completed a while ago, but due to a collaborator's lack of availability, it was not put on arXiv. I am currently reviving the work with the hope of submitting it soon. The research explores how the Newman-Janis algorithm, a method I recently learned, can be applied to models of Lorentz-violating gravity. I am currently studying the black hole shadow of the resulting metric and plan to share the explicit details of my work soon.

• View Details on Newman-Janis Algorithm (PDF)

Hartree-Fock Method for He ground state energy

After learning the Hartree-Fock method in class, I was motivated to implement it to gain a deeper insight into its workings. This project explores the method's application in calculating the ground state energy of a Helium atom, demonstrating a hands-on approach to theoretical concepts.

• View Jupyter Notebook