Summary
I work within the Blackett Laboratory as a member of the Space and Atmospheric Physics research group. Prior to this, I completed a Ph.D. in Physics at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, which included extended periods at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, and at NASA Goddard Space Flight Centre, Maryland. I am a recipient of the Alan Johnstone Award for Scientific Achievement.
My interests within plasma simulations focus on particle-scale kinetic physics and large system-scale phenomena, and the interplay between these. To this end I develop and use a range of magnetohydrodynamic, particle-in-cell, hybrid and test-particle simulation codes to study fundamental plasma phenomena across the solar system and beyond. I also actively apply my research to the development of Space Weather forecasting capabilities.
I am a member of Imperial As One - the Universities' Race Equality Advisory Group, and I actively participate in outreach activities aimed at increasing access to, and equality and diversity within, the STEM fields.
Publications
Journals
Desai R, Zhang H, Davies E, et al., Three Dimensional Simulations of Solar Wind Preconditioning and the 23 July 2012 Interplanetary Coronal Mass Ejection, Solar Physics: a Journal for Solar and Solar-stellar Research and the Study of Solar Terrestrial Physics, ISSN:0038-0938
Mihailescu AT, Desai R, Shebanits O, et al., Spatial variations of low mass negative ions in Titan's upper atmosphere, The Planetary Science Journal, ISSN:2632-3338
Eggington JWB, Eastwood JP, Mejnertsen L, et al., 2020, Dipole tilt effect on magnetopause reconnection and the steady‐state magnetosphere‐ionosphere system: global MHD simulation, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, Vol:125, ISSN:2169-9380, Pages:1-17
Nordheim TA, Wellbrock A, Jones GH, et al., 2020, Detection of Negative Pickup Ions at Saturn's Moon Dione, Geophysical Research Letters, Vol:47, ISSN:0094-8276
Wellbrock A, Coates AJ, Jones GH, et al., 2019, Heavy negative ion growth in Titan's polar winter, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol:490, ISSN:0035-8711, Pages:2254-2261