K. Narayan

Professor of Physics, Chennai Mathematical Institute

  Hi ... I'm Narayan, a faculty member in Physics at the Chennai Mathematical Institute, India. (Narayan is my first name, and the K. is Krishnan, my father's name)

Research interests: broadly, various aspects of string theory and its implications for physical phenomena in particular pertaining to the early universe, condensed matter physics, spacetime geometry, quantum field theory and black holes. Specifically, my research work over the last few years includes:

(i) holographic (AdS/CFT) approaches to non-relativistic or condensed matter systems, in particular in the context of string/M-theory, and associated physics e.g. quantum entanglement, hydrodynamics, extremality/AdS2 etc,

(ii) explorations of de Sitter space in part via dS/CFT duality, investigations of cosmological (Big-Bang) singularities using holographic methods (dual gauge theories) as well as near singularity string spectra; also cosmological aspects of brane inflation,  

Previous work includes: (iii) spacetime geometry without supersymmetry, possible instabilities therein (manifested by e.g. tachyons in the closed string spectrum) and the resolution of possible singularities which also dovetails with their algebraic geometry description and associated physics e.g. topology change (flips),   (iv) gauge theories arising on D-branes and their associated geometry,   (v) the dynamics of dyonic states and their internal structure in gauge and string theories,   (vi) black holes in general relativity, and so on.  

Here are some talks (pdf files) I've given over the last few years.

Publications : my papers,   available at   Spires/inSPIRE,   arXiv .

Email: "my first name" at cmi dot ac dot in

Mailing address : Chennai Mathematical Institute, Plot H1, SIPCOT IT Park, Siruseri 603103, India.

Present (2014-): Professor of Physics, Chennai Mathematical Institute.

Associate Professor (2007-'14), Physics, Chennai Mathematical Institute, and Ramanujan Fellow ('08-'13), Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India.

Postdoctoral Research Associate (Aug 2004-07), Department of Theoretical Physics, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Aug 2002-04), Center for Geometry and Theoretical Physics, Duke University, USA.

Ph.D. (2002): Newman Lab. of Elementary Particle Physics, Cornell University, USA.

B.Tech. (1997): Engg. Phys., IIT Bombay, India.

Classical Mechanics II (Spring '08);   General Relativity (Fall '08);   Quantum Mechanics I (Spring '09);   Quantum Mechanics II (Fall '09);   Quantum Mechanics III (Spring '10);   Electricity & Magnetism III (Fall '10);   Classical Mechanics II (Spring '11);   Quantum Mechanics (graduate) (Fall '11);   Electricity & Magnetism III (Spring '12);   Statistical Mechanics III (Fall '12);   Electricity & Magnetism I (Spring '13);   Introduction to String Theory (Fall '13);   Electricity & Magnetism I (Spring '14);   Advanced General Relativity (Fall '14);   Conformal field theory and worldsheet strings (Spring '15);   Classical Mechanics I (Fall '15, B.Sc. 1st yr);   Critical phenomena, the renormalization group and quantum field theory (Spring '16);   Classical Mechanics I (Fall '16, B.Sc. 1st yr);   Introduction to String Theory (Spring '17);   Critical phenomena, the renormalization group and quantum field theory (Spring '17);   Quantum Mechanics I (Fall '17);   Quantum Mechanics II (Spring '18);   Classical Mechanics II (Spring '19);   Renormalization group and conformal field theory (RG & CFT) (Spring '20);   Introduction to String Theory (Fall '20);   Topics in String Theory (Spring '21);   Classical Mechanics II (Summer '21, Spring '22);   Quantum Mechanics (graduate) (Fall '22);   Quantum Field Theory (graduate) (Spring '23);   Quantum Mechanics (graduate) (Fall '23);   Quantum Field Theory (graduate) (Spring '24);   Statistical Physics (graduate) (Fall '24);  

Professional activities:

National Organizing Committee, Indian Strings Meeting ISM2016, international string theory conference, Dec 15-21, 2016, IISER Pune.

National Organizing Committee, Indian Strings Meeting (ISM12) international string theory conference, Dec 16-21, 2012, Puri.

Co-organizer, Indian Strings Meeting (ISM08) international string theory conference, Dec 6-13, 2008, Pondicherry.

String theory seminar organizer, CGTP, Duke U., Aug '02-'04.

Some links :

Bookmarks

My paintings, some personal stuff, ...