Nanda studied physics in Italy, and after many years in The Netherlands, she is now a tenured staff scientist at the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC) in Barcelona, Spain.
Currently she is running a large research group funded by an ERC Consolidator Grant, focused on studying the reach of the neutron star population in our Galaxy, and their relation with the most explosive Universe events. She works with many X-ray satellites, but keeping an eye also on theoretical modelling.
Nanda is one of the new members of the Athena Science Study Team, she is a member of the ESA Astronomy Working Group, and the Chair of the PHAROS COST Action, comprising 200 researchers from 30 different countries working on neutron stars from different perspectives.
One of Nanda’s interests is simulating how the X-IFU’s high spectral resolution can improve constraints on neutron star equation of state and magnetic field geometry, and how the WFI large throughput can help in identifying Galactic X-ray transients.
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Image: Artistic image of a magnetized neutron star with superimposed the lightcurve of the bursting activity of the magnetar SGR 0501+4561 as observed by ESA XMM-Newton satellite (Rea et al. 2009, MNRAS). Credit: Maciej Rebisz/QuantaMagazine; ESA/XMM-Newton/Rea et al.