Main profile

Guneshwar Thangjam

School: 

Earth & Planetary Sciences

Designation: 

Assistant Professor

Education: 

• 2015, PhD,   Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Göttingen (enrolled in Clausthal University of Technology (TUC), Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany)
• 2008, M.Sc. Geology, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, UP, India (MSc Dissertation in Atomic Minerals Directrorate for Exploration, AMD/DAE, Jaipur)
• 2005, B.Sc.  Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Guru Nanak Khalsa College, Yamuna Nagar, Haryana (Kurukshetra University), India

Specialisation: 

• Reflectance spectroscopy and planetary surface mineralogy
• Small bodies (asteroids, comets), meterorites, analogues and the early Solar System science

Awards: 

Recognitions & Related:

• Max Planck Partner Group, 2020, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften (MPG)
• Ramanujan Fellowship, Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, 2019 (declined)
• 'Returning Expert',  2019, a program under Centre for International Migration and Development (CIM) jointly run by GIZ and ZAV/BA, Germany, promoting knowledge transfer through migrants in their conutries of origin, and also providing top-up salary and relocation costs
• 'Outstanding Contribution in Reviewing', 2017, by Icarus (Elsevier) in cooperation with AAS's Division for Planetary Sciences, recognizing the contribution made to the quality of the journal
• NASA Group Achievement award, 2016, Framing Camera team, NASA Dawn mission to asteroids Vesta and Ceres
• Geologist, Geological Survey of India (GSI), 2012, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), India (declined)

Publications: 

• Nathues A., Hoffmann M., Schmedemann N., Sarkar R., Thangjam G., et al. The Urvara basin on Ceres – brine residues and organics, Nature Communications (accepted)
• Nathues A., Schmedemann N., Thangjam G., et al., (2020). Recent cryovolcanic activity at Occator crater on Ceres. Nature Astronomy, 4, 794–801.
• Platz T., Nathues A., Schorghofer N., Preusker F., et al., (+Thangjam G. S.), (2016). Surface water-ice deposits in the northern shadowed regions of Ceres. Nature Astronomy, 1, 0007.
• Nathues A., Hoffmann M., Schaefer M. et al., (+ Thangjam G. S.), (2015). Sublimation in bright spots on Ceres. Nature, 528, 237-240.
• Thangjam G., Nathues A., et al., (2018). Spectral properties and geology of bright and dark materials on dwarf planet Ceres. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 53 (9), 1961-1982.
• Thangjam G., Hoffmann M., Nathues A., Li J.-Y., Platz T. (2016). Haze at Occator crater on Ceres. Astrophysical Journal Letters, 833, L25.
• Thangjam G., Nathues A., Mengel K., et al., (2014). Olivine-rich exposures at Bellicia and Arruntia craters on (4) Vesta from Dawn FC. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 49, 10, 1831-1850.
• Pieters C.M., Nathues A., Thangjam G., et al., (2018). Geologic context of unusual organic-rich areas on Ceres. Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 53 (9), 1983-1998.

List/details:

• Google Scholar (https://scholar.google.co.in/citations?user=ilANSnwAAAAJ&hl=en)
• Researchgate ((https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Guneshwar_Thangjam)
• ORCiD (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5697-112X)
• Web of Science ResearcherID: P-1489-2017

Recent Activities: 

Present research and future plan in Planetary Materials and Composition Lab (PMCLab), NISER:

I. Proper calibration of NASA Dawn VIR data and study of asteroid Ceres composition: There is a need for proper calibration and processing of Dawn VIR data. It involves several steps and it has be quantified in each steps. The uncertainty in the data is very important to characterize the key absorption features. Once the pipeline is completed and the uncertainty is estimated, revisits to the important science problems are planned, i.e., (a) Widespread presence of ammoniated phyllosilicate absorption and debate of the origin of Ceres, (b) discovery of organics on Ceres and debate on the origin. The science problem and the approach (a) is the objective of my 5 years of Max Planck Partner Group project that started in Sept, 2020. 

• Students working: Rutuja Attal, Soumik Bhattacharyya, Niveditha CV, Ajay Dev

II. Proper calibration of Chandrayaan-II IIRS data and study of lunar composition: The IIRS data covering the 3-5 micron wavelength is unique and robust to investigate water or hydroxyl at 3 micron band as well as study of lunar surface compositional variations. Works on data calibration are in progress. Works on a science problem- mantle moon rock exposed or not in South Pole Aitken basin in also in progress using both IIRS data and M3 data. Works on the machine learning approach of automated mineral mapping and automatic crater detection are also initiated.  

• Students working: Nikhil Keshav, Niveditha CV, Insha M, Harsha, Suraj

III. Understanding outer solar system objects: Works on outer solar system worlds are also in progress, focusing mainly on potential planetary moons categorized as Ocean Worlds (e.g., Europa). Such moons are quite interesting because of the extreme physical, chemical, geologic conditions. They are potential targets for future explorations searching life building complex biomolecules and also clues to early solar system formation.

• Students working: Rion, Nishant

IV. Proposal for an Asteroid mission to ISRO- "Discover the unknown world of asteroid Hygeia": Hygeia is the 4th largest asteroid that belong to carbonaceous-type of asteroid family. Such a body is important in terms of their geological diversity, intriguing physical and chemical processes. It is expected to have had harbored subsurface water-ice ocean of water ice and brine in the past, and likely activities still going. Such geophysical and geochemical conditions are beyond the general understanding where the long-lasting thermal and energy source/mechanism is ceased. Evidence from NASA Dawn mission flown to asteroid Ceres is an example. Meanwhile, the global community is exploring the ocean worlds looking for additional aspects of life elsewhere in the solar system and beyond. Therefore, it is time for an Indian mission to asteroid, and that object is none other than Hygeia.

V. Development of geochemical laboratory facilities for geochemical analysis of meteorites is an ongoing plan. Works are initiated using SEM and XRD available at SCS/SPS NISER, and the facilities at IMMT, BBS. Plan for EDS and WDS detectors/accessories in the already installed Cryo-SEM (at CIS) is in progress, along with other accessories like carbon coating, thin section preparation unit, etc, in SEPS. 

Research: 

Research Experience:

• 2019 Feb - continued, Assistant Professor, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, NISER, India
• 2016 May - 2019 Feb, Postdoc, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Göttingen, Germany (NASA Dawn FC team member, asteroid Ceres geology and CC meteorites)
• 2015 Sept - 2016 April, Postdoc, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Göttingen and Clausthal University of Technology (TUC), Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany (NASA Dawn FC team member, asteroid Vesta geology and HED meteorites)
• 2012 Feb -2015 Sept, PhD / Researcher, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research (MPS), Göttingen (NASA Dawn FC team member, asteroid Vesta geology and HED meteorites)
• 2009 Nov -2012 Jan, Research Fellow, Space Applications Center, Indian Space Research Organization, SAC/ISRO, Ahmedebad, India (Chandrayaan-2 team member, lunar geology)
• 2009, March - Nov, Research Fellow, Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, UP, India (Landslide and Tectonics in MBT Himalaya, study area Dehradun)
• 2008, May - Aug, MSc Dissertation in Atomic Minerals Directrorate for Exploration, AMD/DAE, Jaipur (Field mapping and petrography of Uranium bearing rocks, study area Saladipura-Kotri, Rajasthan)

Research Interest:

• Planetary geology and early Earth geology
• Planetary mineralogy and morphology using spacecraft data (e.g., ISRO’s Chandrayaan, NASA Dawn, NASA Cassini, ISRO and NASA Mars missions, etc.),
• Asteroids & comets & meteorites & analogues and the early solar system science
• Geochemical and geologic evolution of planetary bodies
• Icy planetary bodies in outer solar system and analogues on Earth

Research activities and Participation:

• Team member, Asteroid Framing Camera (AFC), ESA's Hera mission to binary asteroid Didymos, to be launched in Oct, 2024 (AFC team, lead by Dr. Holger Sierks, MPS)
• Collaborator, Planetary Mission Concept Study / PMCS on dwarf planet Ceres, in preparation for NASA 2023-2032 Decadal Survey (PMCS team, lead by Dr. Julie Castillo-Rogez, JPL)
• Participating Scientist, NASA Dawn mission, first mission to largest asteroids Ceres and Vesta (FC team, lead by Dr. Andreas Nathues, MPS)
• Visiting Scientist, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Goettingen, Germany 
• Team member, Chandrayaan-2 Lunar Science Working Group, ISRO, India
• Member, External Advisory Board, Centre for Terrestrial and Planetary Exploration (C-TAPE), the spectrophotometry laboratory of Earth and Planetary sciences, University of Winnipeg, Canada (Director, Prof. Edward Cloutis)
• Reviewer of Nature Astronomy, Nature Communications, Icarus, Astronomy & Astrophysics, Current Science

Teaching: 

2020-2021 even semester:

• EP601 Earth Sciences (PhD course, with Dr. Bhattacharya)
• EP603 Planetary Sciences (PhD course, with Dr. Majumdar)
• EP700 Research methodology (PhD course, with Dr. Bhattacharya)
• EP641 Practical / Field work (PhD course, with Prof. Hota, Dr. Dash, Dr. Bhattacharya, Dr. Majumdar)

2020-2021 odd semester:

• EP603 Planetary Sciences (PhD course, with Dr. Majumdar)
• EP685 Planetary surface process (PhD elective course)
• EP641 Practical / Field work (PhD course, with Prof. Hota, Dr. Dash)

Phone No.: 

+916742494483

Extension: 

2483

Room No.: 

05

Mail ID: 

thangjam[at]niser[dot]ac[dot]in;; thangjam[at]mps[dot]mpg[dot]de

Personal Page: 

Earth and Planetary Composition Research Lab http://www.niser.ac.in/~thangjam/

Group Members: 

PhD researchers:

• Debosmita Paul, CSRE, IIT Bombay (Co-guide; Guide- Prof. Alok Porwal) (lunar basalt pyroxene chemistry and temperature of crystallization using Chandrayaan-I M3 spectral data)

• Sandeepan Dhoundiyal, CSRE, IIT-Bombay (Co-guide; Guide- Prof. Alok Porwal) (Mars phyllosilicate and carbonate - automated mapping and AI methods using MRO CRISM data)

Projects/ Interns:

• Niveditha CV (6th Sem, SPS, spectral unmixing model and asteroid Ceres composition using NASA Dawn VIR data).
• Rutuja Attal (9th Sem, SPS, Asteroid Ceres surface thermal property using NASA Dawn VIR data)
• Soumik Bhattacharya (6th Sem, SPS, Thermal and photometric analysis of Ceres using NASA Dawn VIR spectral data).
• Nikhil Yadav(6th Sem, SPS, Thermal and photometric analysis of Moon using ISRO Chandrayaan-2 IIRS data)

Short course project (with Dr. Subhankar Mishra):

• Insha M, Niveditha CV, Machine learning and automatic spectral studies of lunar minerals
• Nishant Pratim Das, Rion Glenn Nazareth, Machine learning and automatic detection of lineas and its composition in Europa
• Sai Sriharsha Indukuri, Suraj Kumar Sahoo, Machine learning and automatic crater section on Moon, Mars and Vesta.

Other Links: 

Research Opportunities in planetary science

Available positions (last modified, 10-12-2021):

• Opportunity / positions in Max Planck India Partner Group at NISER, funded by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften (MPG):
  • JRF position on asteroid Ceres surface spectro-photometry using NASA Dawn mission data
    •  Eligibility: MSc/MTech in Physics/Geophysics/Computer/Engineering, with a national level examination qualification (e.g., NET/GATE/JAM)
    • ​Additional requirement: Proficiency in programming and scripting (preferably python). (Prior knowledge of geology, planetary science or astronomy is not required, but the research interest and motivation and dedication to work with sincerity and integrity is important)
    • Nature of work: Processing of NASA Dawn mission's hyperspectral data (in visible to near-infrared wavelength). It involves multiple steps-
      • 1. radiometric calibration,
      • 2. thermal emissivity and temperature estimation using Planck black body and Bayesian statistical approach,
      • 3. photometric analysis using radiative transfer approach of Hapke (radiative transfer equation of granular media considering the effects of mineralogy, surface roughness, grain sizes, compaction, and multiple scattering factors, etc);
      • 4. Analysis of spectral absorption features and their chemical composition;
      • 5. Spectral unmixing based on radiative transfer approach as mentioned in step 4.
    • ​​Science problem: The goal of this project is to answer the open scientific question of the formation and origin of Asteroid Ceres- either formed at the present location in the asteroid belt or outer solar system and migrated by studying its physical properties and chemical composition. 
    • Collaboration: Opportunity to work closely with MPS/Germany, and a few others in the US and Canada, including visits.  
    • Ph.D. opportunity: The student has to appear for NISER Ph.D. entrance for Ph.D. enrolment. 
    • Stipend/Benefits/opportunity: The project is funded for 5 years (up to 2025, but 5 years of Ph.D. support starting 2022 is available); Stipend of the same amount to NISER/Ph.D. students, and contingency as required from the project; 2-3 visits with funding from the project, to Max Planck Germany/US/Canada and to attend the largest planetary science meeting - Lunar and Planetary Science Conference at Houston/USA (LPSC); Publication of the results and the science outcomes in leading planetary science journals). 
    • If interested genuinly, please send your details to thangjam@niser.ac.in:
      • 1. updated CV;
      • 2. Details about programming knowledge: As mentioned, strong programming skill is required (preferably python);
      • 3. SOP and research interest based on the paper by DeSanctis et al. 2015, https://www.nature.com/articles/nature16172.

• Interns and research opportunity in Chandrayaan-II project on spectral and compositional analysis using IIRS data