Research
Currently: Rebuilding BVEX 2.0 for a 2027 stratospheric reflight, and forecasting black hole photon ring observations for next‑generation sub‑mm VLBI with collaborators at the CfA / Black Hole Initiative. Past Work: CubeSat AI&T at StarSpec Technologies, polarization in star‑forming cores, and RFSoC based tone‑tracking techniques for MKID arrays.
Open thesisMaster's Thesis
Mm/sub‑mm instrumentation for star formation and black hole science, polarization stacking in dense cores, CCAT Prime atmospheric sensitivity, and a balloon‑borne VLBI pathfinder (BVEX) using RFSoC boards.
Current projects
BVEX 2.0 — Balloon‑borne VLBI Experiment rebuild | Black Hole Photon Ring Forecasting
BVEX on CSA CARMENCITA Gondola
BVEX 2.0
Rebuilding the 1 m K‑band (22 GHz) balloon‑borne VLBI station after the August 2025 CSA STRATOS flight ended early due to a balloon failure — toward a 2027 reflight from Brazil to demonstrate simultaneous VLBI fringes with a ground telescope.
- Redesigned backend enclosure with improved thermal management
- Expanded 24 TB NVMe storage with direct NIC‑to‑NVMe streaming
- Lower power, higher reliability for sustained stratospheric VLBI
Black Hole Photon Ring Forecasting
Forecasting photon ring detection for next‑generation sub‑millimetre VLBI — combining balloon‑borne stations like a future sub‑mm BVEX with ground (ngEHT) and space (BHEX) arrays at 345 and 690 GHz. In collaboration with Dom Pesce and Lindy Blackburn (CfA / Black Hole Initiative).
- Fisher‑matrix forecasts with realistic station gains and closure quantities
- Geometric double‑ring models linking ring asymmetry to black hole spin
- Synthetic observations with frequency phase transfer for M87* and Sgr A*
Publications in preparation
- An RFSoC-based Backend and Timing System for the Balloon-borne VLBI ExperimentIn prep
M. Bagchi et al. — first author
SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation 2026
- BVEX instrument overview paperIn prep
BVEX Collaboration
Target: Journal of Astronomical Instrumentation
- Black hole photon ring forecasting with balloon-borne sub-mm VLBIIn prep
M. Bagchi, D. Pesce, L. Blackburn (CfA / Black Hole Initiative) — first author
In preparation
Past projects
INSPIRESAT — 12U CubeSat AI&T
Contributed to Assembly, Integration & Testing of the INSPIRESAT 12U CubeSat MVP at StarSpec Technologies as a MITACS BSI Intern (Sept 2025 – Apr 2026).
- Magnetometer and thermistor integration software
- Data telemetry and downlinking middleware
- PCDU keepalive signal functionality for power distribution
- Custom optical isolator PCB design & fabrication
- System‑level testing & validation across subsystems
Polarization in dense cores
Magnetic fields are thought to play a crucial role in star formation by providing support against the gravitational collapse of dense clumps of gas, called cores, which are precursors to individual stellar systems. Polarized thermal radiation from aligned dust grains is an essential tool for studying magnetic fields within star‑forming cores. However, the aligning radiation from the local interstellar field may be attenuated by the large dust column surrounding these dense cores.
The central question is: are dust grains aligned within the cores? If so, polarization maps can be used to trace the core‑scale magnetic fields. Studying different stages of core evolution also reveals how well grains remain aligned at each stage—for example, a luminous protostar at the center could provide the alignment torque needed to maintain grain alignment.
I analyze JCMT observations and apply stacking analysis to filtered snapshots of individual stellar cores to improve the signal‑to‑noise. The goal is to extend this method to higher‑resolution (~5″) data from upcoming surveys such as TolTEC Fields in Filaments. For more details, see my MSc thesis here.
Atmospheric characterization and MKID tone tracking for CCAT‑Prime
CCAT‑Prime is a 6 m telescope under construction at 5600 m on Cerro Chajnantor in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The extremely dry conditions enable excellent millimeter and sub‑millimeter observations. The Prime‑Cam instrument will operate at 1.1 mm, 0.85 mm, and 0.35 mm and can employ next‑generation MKID detectors, which offer a simpler readout than TES arrays. Incoming photons break Cooper pairs in the superconducting resonators, shifting the inductance; by injecting a probe tone into each resonator, we track the frequency shift and thereby recover the signal strength.
I am characterizing the atmosphere at the CCAT site to inform robust tone‑tracking strategies for MKID readout. Using Scott Paine’s Atmospheric Modeling (AM) package, I simulate monthly conditions at the site. With skydip simulations—how detector power changes as the telescope slews between elevations—I estimate retuning cadence and target responsivities. Based on these results, I am developing a tone‑tracking algorithm on modern Xilinx RFSoC FPGAs. For additional context, see my MSc thesis here.
