Ripu Nirwan

Graduate Research Assistant
West Virginia University 

Experimental Plasma Physicist

My name is Ripu and I have been conducting research in plasma physics since 2017, starting as an undergraduate at Lawrence University.

Through 7+ years of experience working with plasma systems, I have tackled a variety of problems with applications in a diverse set of contexts — from semiconductor processing to astrophysical phenomena.


• Doctor of Philosophy
  West Virginia University, Spring 2025.
• Master of Science
  West Virginia University, 2022.
• Bachelor of Arts
  Lawrence University, 2019.

Research Experience

I have been fortunate to collaborate with some of the best in my field to further my knowledge of plasma physics and gain a diversity of skills. Here are a few highlights:

• Reconnection-driven Electron Acceleration (Thesis, West Virginia University)
• Asymmetric Diocotron Modes in Pure-electron Plasmas (Lawrence University)
• Diagnostics: Probes (RFEA/RPAs,  B-dot, Langmuir) • Thomson scattering • Laser-induced Fluorescence (LIF, TALIF, 3pLIF).
• Systems: Magnetized, toroidal, pulsed, helicon, semiconductor processing-relevant systems.
• Programming: MATLAB • Python • IDL • Mathematica • Solidworks • VSim • LaTex.

Professional Appointments

My career started as a self-employed high-school tutor, which earned me a stint at my hometown's premier physics coaching center. I have been building on those experiences ever since.

• Graduate Research Assistant
  West Virginia University, 2020 - Present.
• Graduate Teaching Assistant
  West Virginia University, 2019 - 2020.
• Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
  Lawrence University, Fall 2018.
• Tutor
  Lawrence University, Spring 2018.
• Summer Research Assistant
  Lawrence University, 2017 - 2018.