Balu Sreedhar

My research focuses mostly on an early phase in the history of our Universe known as the Epoch of Reionisation (EoR) which happened in the first billion years after the Big Bang. The EoR marked a significant phase-change in the history of the universe. During this period, almost all neutral hydrogen atoms were reionized by photons from the first generation of stars and galaxies, affecting all subsequent galaxy formation and evolution.

One fascinating aspect of astronomy is that when you look deeper into the sky, you are also looking back in time. Several low-frequency radio telescopes are either operational or planned to observe the 21-cm emission of neutral hydrogen atoms from the EoR. I am interested in simulating what these telescopes will observe and how we can efficiently model the young Universe to extract the maximum amount of information about this exciting period. Additionally, I aim to gain a better understanding of the formation and evolution of early galaxies in light of the new data from the JWST. For more information, see my publications page.

I am from a small town in the south Indian state of Kerala (where we speak Malayalam). After studying chemistry for two years, I dropped out to pursue my passion for physics at Pondicherry University in the union territory of Puducherry (where Tamil is the main language). The beaches and French-era buildings of Puducherry will always have a special place in my heart!

Note about my name: (TLDR: Mr Sreedhar is my father and I am Mr Balu!) We employ a patronymic naming system where I am from which means that Sreedhar is my father’s given name and not my family name.