Shantanu Basu Short CV

2010 -- present: Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Western University
2016: Senior Visiting Fellow, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics
2010 -- 2015: Chair, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Western University
2008 -- 2010: Director, Theoretical Physics Program, Western University
2005 -- 2010: Associate Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Western University
2002 -- 2005: SHARCNET Site Leader for Western University
1999 -- 2005: Assistant Professor, Physics and Astronomy, Western University
1996 -- 1999: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics (CITA), University of Toronto
1993 -- 1996: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Michigan State University
1993: PhD, Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1985: BSc, Physics and Mathematics, Florida State University

Essential Astrophysics: Interstellar Medium to Stellar Remnants, Shantanu Basu and Pranav Sharma, 2021, CRC Press, ISBN 9781032105635.

One of the originators of the Migrating Embryo Model for the formation and evolution of circumstellar disks. A unified scenario for episodic accretion onto stars, formation of companions by direct gravitational instability, and migration and ejection of substellar mass objects. Discovered through numerical simulations.
The role of magnetic fields and magnetic field dissipation in the formation of circumstellar disks. A demonstration that magnetic field dissipation leads to disk formation at the earliest protostellar phase and the calculations of the subsequent 3D evolution of magnetized disks, jets, cavities, and outflows.
Extensive work on gravitational instability in interstellar molecular clouds, including the demonstration that the nonlinear outcome of gravitational instability and subsequent core mass function is a sensitive function of magnetic field strength and ionization fraction.
Introduction of the Modified Lognormal Power Law (MLP) distribution function as a possible model for the stellar initial mass function (IMF).
An explanation for the shape of the observed quasar luminosity function (QLF). The power-law portion of the QLF reveals the growth rate of formation of direct collapsed black holes (DCBHs) in the early universe, and the sharp downturn above a certain luminosity reveals the duration of the epoch of DCBH formation.

2016-17 and 2012-13, University Students Council Teaching Honour Roll Award of Excellence, Western University
2013, Asteroid 277883 Basu named in honour by the International Astronomical Union
2010, Faculty of Science Outreach Award, Western University, given to Astronomy Group
2007-09, Faculty Scholar Award, Western University

45 invited talks at major conferences, in Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Iran (virtual), Italy, Japan, Spain, Taiwan, USA, Vietnam
68 invited colloquia/seminars, in Canada, Germany, India, Japan, Korea, Sri Lanka (virtual), Taiwan, UAE, UK, USA

9 postdoctoral fellows. Most still active in astrophysics. One currently at Western, two in faculty positions, five in follow-on research positions
Postdoctoral fellows have held fellowships from NSERC, SHARCNET, NATO, and CITA (4 separate times)
8 PhD students graduated
10 MSc students graduated