AR-2020-21

267 33 rd ANNUAL REPORT 2020-21 Department of Physics, DDU Gorakhpur University (Coordinator: Shantanu Rastogi) Areas of Research Colloquium/Lecture (online) Publications using ICARDFacilities · Infrared Observations of Stars · Circumstellar and Interstellar Medium · Molecules of Astrophysical Importance · Star Clusters · Atmospheric Aerosols · Trace Gases in Planetary Atmospheres The members (Amit Pathak, BHU, and Shantanu Rastogi, DDUGU) have studied various aspects of astrophysical mid infrared emission features, and the possible carrier polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules. Near-IR observations on late type stars are carried out using Devasthal Optical Telescope,ARIES, Nainital (Shantanu Rastogi, and Brijesh Kumar,ARIES, Nainital). Theoretical studies on chemical pathways to formation of pre-biotic molecules in interstellar medium are being done (Alka Mishra, LU). Numerical codes are developed for analysis of AstroSat observations (Sanjay Pandey, LBS (PG) College, Gonda). Continuous monitoring of atmospheric aerosols at Gorakhpur is being carried out (Shantanu Rastogi). · Colloquiumon Molecular astrophysics, by Shantanu Rastogi, May 12, 2020 (in collaboration with ICARD, Delhi). · Special lecture on Black holes: The 2020 Nobel prize in physics, by Ajit Kembhavi, October 23, 2020. · Gauri Devi, Mridusmita Buragohaina, and Amit Pathak (2020) DFT study of five-membered ring PAHs, P&SS, 183, 104593.