Deependra Sharma

Research profile

Experimental high-energy physicist and ALICE analyser completing a PhD at IIT Bombay. My research focuses on open-charm production, charm-hadron correlations, and the interplay between initial-state geometry and particle production in small and light-ion collision systems. I have led measurements of D* production and D*-hadron correlations in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV, using machine-learning selections and the ALICE O2Physics framework, and contribute to related O–O and p–O analyses. My experience combines physics analysis, C++/Python software development, detector quality control, Monte Carlo modelling, collaboration service, teaching, and mentoring.

Research interests

Heavy-flavour production and hadronisation; two-particle correlations; small and light-ion collision systems; machine learning for particle identification and signal extraction; detector performance and quality control; fast-timing detectors and ALICE 3 performance studies.

Education

PhD in Physics 2021 – present

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay · CGPA: 8.0/10
Experimental High Energy Physics Group; research within the ALICE Collaboration.

Master of Science in Physics 2017 – 2019

Indian Institute of Technology Bombay · CGPA: 6.55/10

Bachelor of Science in Physics 2014 – 2017

D. A. V. College, University of Kanpur · 60%

Research experience

Doctoral Researcher and ALICE Analyst, IIT Bombay 2021 – present

• Lead analyser for the multiplicity-dependent D*⁺ production cross-section in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV, including machine-learning-based candidate selection, efficiency corrections, systematic studies, and physics interpretation.
• Lead analyser for D*⁺-hadron azimuthal correlations in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV, investigating charm fragmentation, jet-like correlation structures, and hadronisation.
• Co-analyser for D*⁺-hadron correlations in O–O collisions and minimum-bias D*⁺ production in p–O collisions at √s_NN = 5.36 TeV.
• Obtained ALICE-approved preliminary results for the minimum-bias D*⁺ production cross-section in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV.
• Developed and optimised O2Physics analysis modules for identical-pion femtoscopy, D*-meson reconstruction, and D*-hadron correlations.
• Contributed to the ALICE Transition Radiation Detector Quality Control framework, supporting detector monitoring and reliable data taking.
• Implemented tetrahedral and bipyramidal configurations of oxygen and neon nuclei in PYTHIA Angantyr to study how nuclear substructure influences particle production at LHC energies.

Selected publications and proceedings

1. Deependra Sharma, Arpit Singh and Sadhana Dash. “Deciphering the dynamics of nuclear collisions with the structure of the elongated ²⁰Ne nucleus.” Physical Review C 113, 054903 (2026). doi:10.1103/3fy2-1d7l
2. Deependra Sharma, Arpit Singh, Md. Samsul Islam, Basanta Nandi and Sadhana Dash. “Effect of α clusters on particle production in O–O and p–O collisions at energies available at the CERN Large Hadron Collider.” Physical Review C 112, 034905 (2025). doi:10.1103/l6mj-sgrn
3. Deependra Sharma for the ALICE Collaboration. “Heavy-flavour production and correlations in pp collisions: precision tests of pQCD and hadronization with ALICE.” Journal of Subatomic Particles and Cosmology, 100562 (2026). doi:10.1016/j.jspc.2026.100562
4. Deependra Sharma, Arpit Singh and Sadhana Dash. “Investigating the effects of initial geometry in light ion collisions at LHC energies.” DAE Symposium on Nuclear Physics 69, 991–992 (2025). Proceedings.

Selected presentations

• Heavy-Flavor Meet, 2026 · Talk. Study of charm fragmentation and hadronisation via azimuthal correlations in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV with ALICE.
• Strangeness in Quark Matter, UCLA, 2026 · Talk. Heavy-flavour production and correlations in pp collisions: precision tests of pQCD and hadronization with ALICE.
• DAE Symposium on Nuclear Physics, 2025 · Talk. Investigating the effects of initial geometry in light ion collisions at LHC energies.
• Quark Matter 2025 · Poster. Multiplicity dependence of D* meson production in pp collisions at √s = 13.6 TeV with ALICE at the LHC.

Software and technical skills

• Programming: C++, Python, Fortran; object-oriented and analysis-oriented software development.
• Analysis frameworks: ROOT, ALICE O2Physics, flarefly, Pandas, NumPy, scikit-learn.
• Machine learning: Boosted decision trees, neural networks, gradient-based optimisation.
• Simulation: PYTHIA Angantyr; event generation and custom nuclear-geometry modelling.
• Research tools: Git, Linux, WSL, LaTeX, Mathematica, OriginPro, Excel.

Collaboration service and leadership

Junior Representative, ALICE–STAR India Collaboration 2024 – present

Represent early-career researchers and help address non-academic concerns across the collaboration.

Member, Physics Board, ALICE–STAR India Collaboration 2024 – present

Support research scholars with analysis discussions and collaboration-related scientific activities.

Mess Councillor, Hostel 14, IIT Bombay 2023 – 2024

Managed services for approximately 600 students and a budget of INR 1.3 million; received the Best Councillor Award.

Teaching and mentoring

Teaching Assistant, IIT Bombay 2022 – present

• Mentored five BTech students in the Winter in Data Science programme, introducing ROOT and machine-learning methods for high-energy physics.
• Assisted in Nuclear Physics Laboratory experiments on Rutherford scattering and undergraduate measurements of the electron charge-to-mass ratio.
• Assisted with undergraduate courses in Advanced Physics and Electrodynamics.

Physics Instructor, competitive-examination programmes 2020 – 2022

Taught and supported students preparing for IIT JAM, CSIR-NET, GATE, TIFR and JEST.

Honours and awards

• Travel support from the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, for Strangeness in Quark Matter 2026 at UCLA.
• DST travel support for research visits to CERN in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
• INSPIRE Fellowship, DST, Government of India, 2013–2018.
• CSIR-NET Physics: AIR 240 (JRF, December 2020) and AIR 130 (LS, December 2019).
• GATE Physics AIR 1221 (2020); IIT JAM AIR 122 (2017); JEST AIR 265 (2017).