CV

Name: Prayag Yadav
Date of Birth: 25 April 2001
Age: 23 years
Nationality: Indian
Sex: Male
Contact: prayagyadav206@gmail.com
Website: https://www.prayagyadav.me (opens in a new tab)
Address: Hyderabad, India
Phone: +91 7757072145

Education

Integrated Master of Science in Physics

University: University of Hyderabad, India
Joined: August 2019
Duration of course: 5 years (2019-2024)
Cumulative GPA: 8.62

Intermediate

School: Mount Carmel Senior Secondary School, Cement Nagar, India
Subjects: Physics, Maths, Chemistry, Biology, English
Board of Examination: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)
Duration: 2 years (July 2017 to July 2019)
Percentage of marks obtained: 92.8%

Matriculation

School: Vianney Vidya Mandir, Ghugus, India
Subjects: Physics, Chemistry, Maths, Biology, English literature and grammar, Home Science
Board of Examination: Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE)
Year of Completion: 2017
Percentage of marks obtained: 89%.

Master's Thesis

Project Title: “Background Estimation of Mono-Higgs in 𝑏𝑏̅ final state using 2018 data of the CMS detector at the LHC, CERN”
Supervisor: Dr Bhawna Gomber, University of Hyderabad
Description:

• Among the many open questions in physics, the question of what Dark Matter is, is a mysterious one.
• In this thesis, I studied a specific 'simplified model' of dark matter. The simplified model is a supersymmetric model called the two-Higgs doublet model - a (2HDMa). The 2HDMa model introduces a new pseudoscalar 'a', which mediates the interaction between the Dark sector (denoted by $\chi$ and $\bar{\chi}$) and the usual standard model particles.
• The signal signature is a high missing transverse momentum and a standard model Higgs which decays to two bottom quarks. These bottom quarks produce particle jets which are identified as 'b-jets' using a b- tagging algorithm.
• The analysis involves the identification of the signal (large $p_T^{miss} + H\rightarrow b\bar{b}$) from various backgrounds which are estimated by defining control regions and by Monte-Carlo simulation.
• I use the COFFEA framework (Columnar Object Framework for Effective Analysis) as my analysis tool.
• The analysis is originally going on at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I collaborate with the Wisconsin group to perform control region studies.
• The two major backgrounds for this analysis are top pairs ($t\bar{t}$) and $Z\rightarrow \nu\bar{\nu}$. These two backgrounds are estimated by estimating four different control regions: single muon, single electron, double muon, and double electron. I have contributed to the estimation of Top muon and Top electron control region studies.

Internships and other projects

HSF-India Trainee Project

Project: Building examples for Future Circular Collider (FCC) analyses using the Columnar Framework For Effective Analysis (COFFEA) framework and developing the schema class implementation of FCC simulation samples in COFFEA
Mentors: David Lange (Princeton University), Bhawna Gomber (University of Hyderabad)
Duration: June 2023 - Ongoing
Description: :
The purpose of this project is to build the necessary schema class for FCC simulation samples in COFFEA and create examples of simple analyses done in COFFEA utilizing FCC simulation samples. The schema classes for the NanoAOD data structure are already present in COFFEA. Developing a schema class for FCC samples would enable analyses to be performed in Python and take advantage of parallel processing with less time-to-insight. Based on the existing examples of FCC analyses, COFFEA examples of the same are to be built and documented, which will streamline the reproducibility of the results.

Internship with CMS group at the University of Hyderabad

Supervisor: Dr Bhawna Gomber
Duration: 20 th July 2022 to 4 th July 2023

• Before starting my master's project, I did an internship with the CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) Group at the University of Hyderabad. I did this in parallel to my coursework classes.
• During this time, I learnt the basics of analysis in experimental HEP.
• I learnt a lot of tools:C++, ROOT, CMSSW, Python, COFFEA, bash scripting and submitting jobs to Dask and HTCondor schedulers.
• I took up the job of setting up and maintaining the newly bought server for my lab. I learnt how to install RHEL-based enterprise Linux on the server, installed ROOT and other HEP-relevant software, deployed containerized solutions to HEP analysis like singularity and docker containers, and hosted an internal Jupyterhub server with containerized backends.
• At the physics analysis part of things, I helped the PhD students with an estimation of Dielectron backgrounds in their analyses using ROOT and C++.

Project in experimental nuclear physics

Title: 'Study of entanglement of photons in para-positronium decay and its implications'
Supervisor: Prof. Rudrajyoti Palit
Duration: (May 202 1 to July 2021) and (Dec 2021 to Jan 2022)

• I did a reading project on the above-mentioned title. I learnt in detail about Gamma-ray spectroscopy and double Compton scattering cross sections.
• I focused on the use of segmented HPGe detectors to detect the correlation between two entangled photons produced because of a positronium decay ($e^+ + e^-$).
• I learnt about the signal processing and data acquisition required for such an analysis. I also learnt about CZT detectors and NaI (Tl) gamma spectroscopy.
• At the end of my project, my guide posed a problem. The problem was to find the relative contributions of Compton Scattering and Photoelectric absorption in a full photopeak corresponding to an E=0.511MeV. I solved the problem by creating a simulation in Python from scratch.

Technical Skills

• Working experience in Python programming and use of modern data analysis tools relating to high energy physics: COFFEA Framework (Columnar Object Framework for Effective Analysis), uproot, awkward array, boost histogram's hist, NumPy, Dask, HTCondor, matplotlib, pandas, SciPy etc.
• Working experience in C++, ROOT Framework, pyROOT and CMSSW.
• Very good experience with the GNU/Linux operating system. Working experience with Debian-based and RHEL-based systems. Worked with docker, singularity and Jupyterhub.
• Familiar with machine learning and Neural Networks. Know the basics of ANN, RNN and CNN and their implementation using Keras and TensorFlow. Deployed TensorFlow docker and singularity containers to utilize hardware acceleration through Nvidia GPU in my project lab servers.
• Familiarity with other languages: Fortran, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Typescript, Bash, and Octave.
• Experience in Web Development: Made websites using React-based frameworks like NextJS. Hands-on experience with maintaining a web server which hosts php-based frameworks like docuwiki.

Workshops, Conferences and Volunteering work

Machine Learning Workshop | University of Hyderabad

Date: 26 Oct 2022 to 28 Oct 2022

• Learnt the basics of ANN, CNN and RNN
• Hands-on training in Machine Learning and Neural Networks
• Hands-on experience with Keras and TensorFlow
• Created a simple neural network to separate proton beam halo data from hadron data.

ICFAST Conference | University of Hyderabad

Date: 9 Sept 2022 - 12 Sept 2022

• Attended all the talks given by Indian and Japanese professors.
• Attended poster sessions by scholars from all over the country.

Volunteered for Vigyanotsav

Date: Jan 2020 and Aug 2023

• A science fest hosted by the Junior Science Club, University of Hyderabad.
• Demonstrated and explained superconductivity to school students by levitating a High $T_C$ superconductor over a magnet.

Language Proficiency

• English: Fluent in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
• Hindi: Native speaker. Fluent in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Academic achievement

• NIUS (National Initiative for Undergraduate Studies) Scholar, HBCSE, TIFR
• Appointed as the Student's Representative in the Grievance Council, College of Integrated Studies, University of Hyderabad for the year 2020.
• First ranker in the school in the CBSE XII examination
• Felicitated by district MLA for excellence in studies.
• Fourth-ranked in the district in the ICSE X examination
• Felicitated by district MLA for excellence in studies.

Hobbies

• DJing, Music production, trying out new technologies related to music production.
• Playing chess, trying out new open-source ware and freeware and Linux distributions, making a website, and anything tech related, I enjoy.