Astronomer · Yale University
Payaswini Saikia
I am an Associate Research Scientist in the Department of Astronomy at Yale University. I study how black holes, neutron stars and white dwarfs feed on surrounding matter, and how they launch part of it back out as jets and winds.
My work spans black holes of every size, from stellar-mass black holes in our own Galaxy to supermassive black holes at the centres of galaxies. I combine radio, infrared, optical, ultraviolet and X-ray observations with modelling to test whether the same physics drives them all.
My path to Yale has crossed continents: from physics in Delhi, through the Erasmus Mundus Astromundus Master's in Europe and a PhD at Radboud University in the Netherlands, to research at NYU Abu Dhabi. Along the way I have worked with telescopes from MeerKAT and the VLA to the VLT and JWST, and I love sharing astronomy with students and the public.
Research themes
- Black Hole Mass ScalingDo black holes of all sizes follow the same rules?
- Accretion Physics & VariabilityHow outbursts start, flicker, re-brighten and fade.
- Jet Physics & Disc–Jet CouplingHow fast jets are, and when they switch on and off.
- Supermassive Black Holes & Galaxy EvolutionBlack hole activity in nearby and distant galaxies.
- Outflows, Shocks & FeedbackHow jets and winds shape their surroundings.
Contact
Questions about my research, a talk or a collaboration? Send me a message with the form and I will reply by email.
- Office
- Department of Astronomy
Yale University
New Haven, CT, USA