Ravindra Desai is an Assistant Professor in the University of Warwick Centre for Fusion, Space and Astrophysics. His research into astrophysical plasma physics incorporates both particle-scale kinetic physics and system-scale phenomena, to pursue blue skies research into planetary magnetospheres, radiation belts and solar wind dynamics — across the solar system and beyond. He is also interested in how astrophysical phenomena intersect with, and pose dangers to, our increasingly technology-dependent society through phenomena collectively known as Space Weather.

To this end Ravindra develops and employs a range of plasma simulation codes and is involved in a number of current and upcoming space missions. These include the Lunar Gateway Space Station, soon to launch into lunar orbit as part of the Artemis program, the SMILE mission which will image the global magnetosphere using X-rays, and Solar Orbiter which is observing the Sun from closer than ever before. In addition to these, he is leading a new candidate mission within ESA's technology programme called ROARS (Revealing Orbital and Atmospheric Responses to Solar activity). He is actively working with the UK MET Office to develop new space weather forecasting capabilities, and to develop greater space domain awareness through the Warwick Centre for Space Domain Awareness.

In 2023, Ravindra was awarded the Royal Astronomical Society Winton Award for outstanding contributions in the field of Space Plasma physics and Royal Astronomical Society Higher Education Award for outstanding supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate students. He also participates in the Nuffield Research Placement programme and outreach with the Sun-Space-Art programme.

Write to:

Ravindra Desai
Department of Physics,
University of Warwick,
Coventry, CV4 7AL,
UK

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