Dr. Krishnaprasad Chirakkil

Education

• Ph.D. Physics

  Space Physics Laboratory / Cochin University of Science and Technology July 2021

  Thesis: Solar Energetic Particles Associated with Coronal Mass Ejections and Corotating Interaction Regions and their Influence on Martian Plasma Environment

  [Citation Details]

• M.Sc. Physics

  National Institute of Technology Calicut May 2015
• B.Sc. Physics

  Govt. Victoria College, Palakkad / University of Calicut May 2013

Research and Teaching Experience

• Research Scientist-II

  Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder December 2023 - Present
• Research Scientist-I

  Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder July 2021 - December 2023
• Professional Research Assistant

  Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado Boulder May 2021 - July 2021
• Visiting Researcher

  Space and Planetary Science Center, Khalifa University May 2021 - December 2024
• Visiting Scholar

  Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley May 2021 - December 2023
• Senior Research Fellow

  Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation June 2018 - April 2021
• Junior Research Fellow

  Space Physics Laboratory, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Indian Space Research Organisation June 2016 - June 2018
• Teaching Assistant

  Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad July 2015 - June 2016
• Visiting Student

  Raman Research Institute January 2015 - June 2015
• Summer Student

  Indian Institute of Technology Madras May 2014 - July 2014

Publications

My full list of publications can be accessed through Google Scholar.

• R. Susarla, J. Deighan, M. S. Chaffin, E. Quemerais, S. Jain, R. J. Lillis, G. Holsclaw, K. Chirakkil, et al. (2025). Interplanetary Hydrogen Observations of the Emirates Ultraviolet Spectrometer Onboard the Emirates Mars Mission. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 130
• K. Chirakkil, R. J. Lillis, J. Deighan, M. S. Chaffin, S. K. Jain, D. A. Brain, et al. (2024). EMM EMUS observations of FUV aurora on Mars: Dependence on magnetic topology, local time, and season. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 129
• R. J. Lillis, J. Deighan, K. Chirakkil, S. Jain, M. Fillingim, M. Chaffin, et al. (2024). Sinuous aurora at Mars: A link to the tail current sheet? Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129
• R. Susarla, J. Deighan, M. S. Chaffin, S. Jain, R. J. Lillis, K. Chirakkil, et al. (2024). Variability of atomic hydrogen brightness in the Martian exosphere: Insights from the Emirates Ultraviolet Spectrometer on board Emirates Mars Mission. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129
• L. Soret, B. Hubert, J.-C. Gérard, S. Jain, K. Chirakkil, R. Lillis, J. Deighan (2024). Quantifying the electron energy of Mars aurorae through the oxygen emission brightness ratio at 130.4 and 135.6 nm. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 129
• K. Chirakkil, J. Deighan, M. S. Chaffin, S. K. Jain, R. J. Lillis, S. Raghuram, et al. (2024). EMM EMUS observations of hot oxygen corona at Mars: Radial distribution and temporal variability. Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 129
• M. S. Chaffin, J. Deighan, S. Jain, G. Holsclaw, H. AlMazmi, K. Chirakkil, et al. (2022), Combined analysis of hydrogen and oxygen 102.6 nm emission at Mars, Geophysical Research Letters, 49
• R. J. Lillis, J. Deighan, D. Brain, M. Fillingim, S. Jain, M. Chaffin, S. England, G. Holsclaw, K. Chirakkil, et al. (2022), First synoptic images of FUV discrete aurora and discovery of sinuous aurora at Mars by EMM EMUS, Geophysical Research Letters, 49
• M. S. Chaffin, C. M. Fowler, J. Deighan, S. Jain, G. Holsclaw, A. Hughes, R. Ramstad, Y. Dong, D. Brain, H. AlMazmi, K. Chirakkil, et al. (2022), Patchy proton aurora at Mars: A global view of solar wind precipitation across the Martian dayside from EMM/EMUS, Geophysical Research Letters, 49
• C. Krishnaprasad, S. V. Thampi, C. O. Lee, S. P. Tadepalli, K. Sankarasubramanian, T. K. Pant (2021), Solar Energetic Particle Events of July 2017: Multi-spacecraft Observations near 1 and 1.5 AU, Earth and Space Science Open Archive
• C. Krishnaprasad, S. V. Thampi, A. Bhardwaj, T. K. Pant, R. S. Thampi (2021), Ionospheric plasma energization at Mars during the September 2017 ICME event, Planetary and Space Science, 205, 105291
• S. V. Thampi, C. Krishnaprasad, G. G. Nampoothiri, T. K. Pant (2021), The Impact of a Stealth CME on the Martian Topside Ionosphere, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 503, 1, 625-632
• C. Krishnaprasad, S. V. Thampi, A. Bhardwaj, C. O. Lee, K. K. Kumar, T. K. Pant (2020), Recurrent Solar Energetic Particle Flux Enhancements Observed near Earth and Mars, The Astrophysical Journal, 902(1), 13
• V. Mukundan, S. V. Thampi, A. Bhardwaj, C. Krishnaprasad (2020), Model calculation of ionization efficiency in the Martian dayside ionosphere using MAVEN observations, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 497, 2, 2239-2249
• V. Mukundan, S. V. Thampi, A. Bhardwaj, C. Krishnaprasad (2020), The dayside ionosphere of Mars: Comparing a one-dimensional photochemical model with MAVEN Deep Dip campaign observations, Icarus, 337, 113502
• C. Krishnaprasad, S. V. Thampi, A. Bhardwaj (2019), On the response of Martian ionosphere to the passage of a corotating interaction region: MAVEN observations, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 124, 8, 6998-7012
• S. V. Thampi, C. Krishnaprasad, P. R. Shreedevi, T. K. Pant, A. Bhardwaj (2019), Acceleration of energetic ions in corotating interaction region near 1.5 AU: Evidence from MAVEN, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 880(1), L3
• S. V. Thampi, C. Krishnaprasad, A. Bhardwaj, Y. Lee, R. K. Choudhary, T. K. Pant (2018), MAVEN observations of the response of Martian ionosphere to the interplanetary coronal mass ejections of March 2015, Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics, 123, 8, 6917-6929

Participation and Mentorship

• Mentor for NSF Partners Across the Sky Program by CU Boulder and Fort Lewis College (2025)
• NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) application review panel (2024 Jul, 2024 Nov, 2025 Mar)
• Boulder Solar REU Program application review panel (2024, 2025)
• CU Boulder Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program application review board (2025)
• NASA ROSES grant proposal review panel (2024)
• NASA Heliophysics Summer School (2020)
• NASA SPICE Training Class (2019)
• Ocean Research Expedition ICARB (2018)
• Winter School on Astroparticle Physics (2014)

Journal Reviewer

• The Astrophysical Journal (ApJ)
• Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (MNRAS)
• Planetary and Space Science (PSS)

Memberships

• Science Team Member, Emirates Mars Mission (EMM)
• Science Team Member, NASA MAVEN mission
• Extended Science Team Member, NASA ESCAPADE mission
• American Geophysical Union (AGU)
• European Geosciences Union (EGU)

Contact

Feel free to reach out to me via email or connect on the links below.

✉️ krishnaprasad.chirakkil@lasp.colorado.edu

🌐 CU/LASP Webpage

📍 Boulder, CO, USA