Hi, I’m Rahul 💡🧑🏻‍💻🤿🏄🏻‍♂️

I am a Ph.D. student at City College of New York, NY 🎓, and I enjoy biking 🚴🏼, hiking 🗻, and scuba diving 🐠.

I work with Prof. Jeffrey Morris and Prof. Mark Shattuck. My research focuses on the fascinating world of dense suspensions—complex fluids where microscopic interactions drive macroscopic behavior.

🔬 Research Interests

🔹 Dense Suspensions & Contact Networks

I investigate the rheology and contact parameters of non-Brownian bidisperse dense suspensions using the LF-DEM (Lubricated Flow - Discrete Element Method) model. My work leverages graph theory and non-equilibrium particle physics to analyze microstructural properties that drive emergent behaviors in these systems like shear thickening and shear jamming with a focus on high bidisperse systems.

🔹 Particle Tracking & Machine Learning

Earlier in my Ph.D., I worked on a clogging problem with soft particles flowing through a hopper. I developed image processing techniques to detect particle centers and later built a convolutional neural network (CNN) to automate tracking, achieving a 50x speedup. I combined convolution techniques with χ² analysis for faster, more accurate tracking.

🔹 DEM Simulations & Hobby Projects

Outside of my core research, I develop Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations to explore and test various contact models. I have studied the Cundall-Strack and Hertz-Mindlin contact models in depth, understanding when and how to apply each effectively. Additionally, I create random packing scripts that serve multiple purposes: they initialize DEM simulations with minimal particle overlaps and help investigate the maximum packing densities of bidisperse and polydisperse systems—problems that are challenging to solve through geometry alone.

These projects allow me to push the boundaries of simulation techniques and explore fundamental questions in particulate matter physics.

🧑🏻‍💻 Let’s Connect!

I’m always excited to discuss complex fluids, computational modeling, and machine learning applications in physics. Feel free to reach out!

CV 📄

I believe in Open Science 🌍