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Institute for High Energy Phenomenology
Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics
Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853-2501

Office: 428 Physical Sciences Building
e-mail: bs475@cornell.edu

About Me

I work on theoretical particle physics at Cornell University's Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics (LEPP), where I am currently a fifth year Ph.D. student with the theory group.

I grew up in Kathmandu, Nepal before moving to the United States for my undergraduate studies. As an undergraduate at Stanford, I studied physics, mathematics, and philosophy while gaining research experience in observational cosmology and theoretical astrophysics. I then moved to Cornell to pursue a Ph.D., briefly working at the LHC at CERN for part of the summer before the official start of the program.

When I am not thinking about physics, I am most likely doing my next favorite thing: playing football (soccer).

Before moving on to serious physics, some more accessible stuff:

  • My article in The Himalayan Times, following the official announcement of the discovery of the Higgs boson.
  • Between finishing high school and starting college, I researched and helped to write this document for the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) on the status of ozone layer protection in South Asia.

Academic Background

Cornell University , Ithaca, NY (August 2008 - ongoing)
Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Physics
Advisor: Maxim Perelstein

Stanford University, Stanford, CA (September 2004 - June 2008)
Bachelor of Science, Physics, with a Concentration in Theoretical Physics (with Distinction)
Bachelor of Arts and Science, Mathematics and Philosophy (with Distinction)

Research Interests

My research interests span many topics in theoretical particle physics, focusing broadly on theories and phenomenology of physics beyond the Standard Model. My work so far has involved dark matter phenomenology, supersymmetry, warped extra dimensions, and collider signatures of new physics at the LHC. I am currently spending my days thinking about the naturalness of supersymmetry in the light of recent experimental results, and dark matter implications of various recent indirect, direct, and collider results.


My Contributions to Physics (Publications)

  • "Neutralino Oscillations at the LHC"
    (with Yuval Grossman, Yuhsin Tsai), arXiv:1211.3121 [hep-ph]
  • "A 130 GeV Gamma Ray Signal from Supersymmetry"
    arXiv:1209.2427 [hep-ph]
  • "XENON100 Implications for Naturalness in the MSSM, NMSSM and lambda-SUSY"
    (with M. Perelstein), arXiv:1208.0833 [hep-ph]
  • "The Birds and the Bs in RS: The b to s gamma Penguin in a Warped Extra Dimension"
    (with Monika Blanke, Philip Tanedo, Yuhsin Tsai), JHEP 1208, 038 (2012)
  • "Fine-Tuning Implications of Direct Dark Matter Searches in the MSSM"
    (with M. Perelstein), JHEP 1110, 142 (2011)
  • "Antiprotons from Dark Matter: E ffects of a Position-Dependent Diffusion Coefficient"
    (with M. Perelstein), Phys.Rev. D83 (2011) 123508
  • "Dark Matter Identification with Gamma Rays from Dwarf Galaxies"
    (with M. Perelstein), JCAP 1010 (2010) 016
  • "Remarks on Calculation of Positron Flux from Galactic Dark Matter"
    (with M. Perelstein), Phys.Rev. D82 (2010) 043505
    • Conference Proceedings
  • "Dark Matter Identification using Gamma Rays from Dwarf Galaxies"
    (with M. Perelstein), PoS(IDM2010)036
  • "Comment on Calculation of Positron Flux from Galactic Dark Matter"
    (with M.Perelstein), PoS(IDM2010)003

    • For more details, see INSPIRE or the arXiv.


Seminar/Conference Talks

  • "Neutralino Dark Matter: Naturalness, XENON100, and a 130 GeV Signal"
    Particle Theory Seminar: Stony Brook University (September 2012), Cornell University (October 2012), Harvard University (October 2012), University of Maryland (November 2012)
  • "Direct Detection Implications for Supersymmetry Naturalness"
    Identification of Dark Matter Conference 2012, Chicago (July 2012)
  • "Return of the Warped Penguins: b to s gamma in RS"
    LEPP Particle Theory Seminar, Cornell University (May 2012)
  • "Naturalness in Supersymmetry and Dark Matter Direct Detection"
    Pheno 2012 (May 2012)
  • "Direct Dark Matter Searches and Fine-Tuning in Supersymmetry"
    LEPP Particle Theory Seminar, Cornell University (November 2011)
  • "Fine-Tuning Implications of Direct Dark Matter Searches in the MSSM"
    SUSY 2011, Fermilab (August 2011)
  • "b->s+gamma Penguin in a Warped Extra Dimension"
    TASI, Boulder (Jun 2011); STEM Grad Student Colloquium, Cornell (August 2011)
  • "Charged Particles from Dark Matter: Galactic Propagation Effects"
    Phenomenology 2011 Symposium, Madison (May 2011)
  • "Interpreting Indirect Signatures of Dark Matter"
    LEPP Particle Theory Seminar, Cornell University (February 2011)
  • "The Latest on Dark Matter Identification"
    LEPP Particle Theory Seminar, Cornell University (September 2010)
  • "On Positrons and Gamma Rays from Dark Matter"
    seminar talk at Oscar Klein Center, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden (August 2010)
  • "Dark Matter Identifi cation with Gamma Rays from Dwarf Galaxies"
    contributed talk at IDM 2010 conference, Montpellier, France (July 2010)
  • "Comment on Calculation of Positron Flux from Galactic Dark Matter"
    poster at IDM 2010 conference, Montpellier, France (July 2010)

Cornell Particle Theory Journal Club Talks

These are informal blackboard talks given at the theory group's BSM Journal Club, and usually serve as a good reflection of what I was thinking of around the time the talks were given.

  • How I learned to worry about stops and love naturalness (October 2012)
  • Out of this world SUSY breaking (February 2012)
  • R-symmetry and Dirac Gauginos (November 2011)
  • Deconstructing the Fifth Dimension (September 2011)
  • Pushforward, pullback, and all that stuff (January 2011)
  • FIMP Dark Matter (September 2010)
  • Techniques for multi-parton amplitudes (April 2010)
  • CoGeNT and WIMPs (March 2010)
  • Bounds on Sommerfeld Enhancement of Dark Matter Signals (November 2009)
  • Dark Matter: from Theory to Indirect Observation and Back (September 2009)

You might have seen me here

(Conferences/Workshops/Summer Schools)

  • "TeV Particle Astrophysics 2012", Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, Dec. 10-14, 2012
  • "IDM 2012: 9th International Workshop on Identification of Dark Matter", Chicago, July 23-27, 2012
  • "Phenomenology 2012 Symposium", University of Pittsburgh, May 7-9, 2012
  • "Hot Topics at Colliders: Exploring Hints for New Physics", PCTP Workshop, Princeton, April 27-29, 2012
  • "MC4BSM 2012", Cornell University, Mar 22-24, 2012
  • "SUSY 2011", Fermilab, Batavia, IL, Aug 2011
  • "Pre-SUSY 2011", University of Chicago, Chicago, Aug 2011
  • "Theoretical Advanced Studies Insitute (TASI) 2011"; University of Colorado, Boulder, Jun 2011
  • "Phenomenology 2011 Symposium"; Madison, May 2011
  • "Dark Matter: Direct Detection and Theoretical Developments"; PCTP, Princeton, NJ, Nov 2010
  • "IDM 2010: 8th International Workshop on Identification of Dark Matter"; Montpellier, France, Jul 2010
  • "XXXVII SLAC Summer Institute: Revolutions on the Horizon, A Decade of New Experiments"; SLAC, Menlo Park, CA, Aug 2009