Shrinivas R. (Shri) Kulkarni
Shrinivas R. (Shri) Kulkarni
George Ellery Hale Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science
M.S., Indian Institute of Technology, 1978; Ph.D., University of California, 1983; D.h.c., Radboud University. Millikan Research Fellow in Radio Astronomy, Caltech, 1985-87; Assistant Professor of Astronomy, 1987-90; Associate Professor, 1990-92; Professor, 1992-96; Professor of Astronomy and Planetary Science, 1996-2001; MacArthur Professor, 2001-17; Hale Professor, 2017-; Executive Officer for Astronomy, 1997-2000. Director of Caltech Optical Observatories, 2006-18.
Current Research Interests: Study of Interstellar Matter and Binary Stars
Overview
Kulkarni is the George Ellery Hale Professor of Astronomy & Planetary Sciences. He joined Caltech as a Millikan Fellow in 1985. He has served as Executive Officer for Astronomy (1997-2000) and the Director of the Caltech Optical Observatories (2006-2018). He founded the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) which served as a pre-cursor survey for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) of the Vera Rubin Observatory. He is a co-investigator in NASA's upcoming UVEX mission and the Principal Investigator of Z-Shooter, a state-of-art spectrograph for the Keck Observatory.
Selected Awards
- Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society, 2026; "for sustained, innovative and ground-breaking contributions to multi-wavelength transient astrophysics."
- Shaw Prize in Astronomy, 2024; "for his ground-breaking discoveries about millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and other variable or transient astronomical objects"
- Dan David Prize, 2017
- Karl G. Jansky Lectureship (AUI), 2002
- Alan T. Waterman Award(NSF), 1992
Selected Awards
- Gold Medal, Royal Astronomical Society, 2026; "for sustained, innovative and ground-breaking contributions to multi-wavelength transient astrophysics."
- Shaw Prize in Astronomy, 2024; "for his ground-breaking discoveries about millisecond pulsars, gamma-ray bursts, supernovae, and other variable or transient astronomical objects"
- Dan David Prize, 2017
- Karl G. Jansky Lectureship (AUI), 2002
- Alan T. Waterman Award(NSF), 1992
Leadership
- Director, Caltech Optical Observatories, 2006-2018
- Director, NASA Extrasolar Planet Science Institute, 2004-2018
- Executive Officer, Department of Astronomy, Caltech, 1997-2000
Professional Memberships
- Fellow, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts of Sciences, 2016
- Honorary Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, 2011
- Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, 2003
- Fellow, Royal Society, London, 2001
- Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1994
Leadership
- Director, Caltech Optical Observatories, 2006-2018
- Director, NASA Extrasolar Planet Science Institute, 2004-2018
- Executive Officer, Department of Astronomy, Caltech, 1997-2000
Professional Memberships
- Fellow, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts of Sciences, 2016
- Honorary Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences, 2011
- Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, 2003
- Fellow, Royal Society, London, 2001
- Fellow, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1994
External Affiliations
- Adjunct Professor, Raman Research Institute, India, 2018-present
- JRD Tata Chair Professor, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India, 2020-present
- Chair, Physical Sciences Panel, Infosys Science Foundation, 2009-present
External Affiliations
- Adjunct Professor, Raman Research Institute, India, 2018-present
- JRD Tata Chair Professor, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, India, 2020-present
- Chair, Physical Sciences Panel, Infosys Science Foundation, 2009-present
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Ay 122 abc. Astronomical Measurements and Instrumentation.
9 units (3-0-6); first, second terms, 2026-27.
Prerequisites: Ph 106 bc or equivalent.
Measurement and signal analysis techniques throughout the electromagnetic spectrum. Courses may include lab work and field trips to Caltech observatories. Ay 122 a concentrates on infrared, optical, and ultraviolet techniques: telescopes, optics, detectors, photometry, spectroscopy, active/adaptive optics, coronography. Imaging devices and image processing. Ay 122 b concentrates on radio through submillimeter techniques: antennae, receivers, mixers, and amplifiers. Interferometers and aperture synthesis arrays. Signal analysis techniques and probability and statistics, as relevant to astronomical measurement. Ay 122 c concentrates on X-ray through gamma-ray techniques.
Part c not offered 2026-27.
Instructors: Howard, Steidel, Hallinan, Kulkarni
Instructors: Howard, Steidel, Hallinan, Kulkarni
Ay 126. Interstellar and Intergalactic Medium.
9 units (3-0-6); third term, 2026-27.
Prerequisites: Ay 102 (undergraduates).
Physical processes in the interstellar medium. Ionization, thermal and dynamic balance of interstellar medium, molecular clouds, hydrodynamics, magnetic fields, H II regions, supernova remnants, star formation, global structure of interstellar medium.
Instructor: Kulkarni
Instructor: Kulkarni