Bhanu Kumar

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the research station "Geometry + Dynamics" at the Institute for Mathematics, Heidelberg University, working with JProf. Agustin Moreno on the AFOSR-funded project "Symplectic Methods in Space Mission Design". I am also on temporary leave from my position as an NSF Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Mission Design and Navigation (MDNav) Section of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. I completed my Ph.D. in 2022 from the School of Mathematics at Georgia Tech, advised by Prof. Rafael de la Llave and supported by a NASA NSTRF fellowship. I also spent time during my Ph.D. as an NSTRF visiting technologist in MDNav at JPL, working with mentor Dr. Rodney Anderson. Prior to that, from 2014-2017 I was a co-op student in the Radio Science Systems Group at JPL. I hold an M.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering as well, also from Georgia Tech.

Research Interests

At a broad level, my interests lie in the application of tools and results from mathematical dynamical systems theory and symplectic geometry, both analytical and computational, to various problems in celestial mechanics and applied astrodynamics for space mission design. In brief, there are geometric structures, such as periodic orbits, invariant tori, and stable and unstable manifolds, which govern many of the important dynamical properties of multi-body celestial systems. I am interested in developing fast and accurate methods for computing these objects as well as for investigating the dynamics induced by them. I am also working on applications of these methods to current and relevant problems in astrodynamics, with a current focus on tour design in multi-moon systems and cislunar space using mean motion resonances.

Selected Journal and Conference Papers

Investigation of Interior Mean Motion Resonances and Heteroclinic Connections in the Earth-Moon System
(with A. Rawat, A.J. Rosengren, and S.D. Ross)
Proceedings of the 2024 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Paper Link

A Survey of Oberon Mean Motion Resonant Unstable Orbit Properties and Connections for Uranian Tours
(with R. Anderson)
Proceedings of the 2024 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Paper Link

4th Body-Induced Secondary Resonance Overlapping Inside Unstable Resonant Orbit Families: a Jupiter-Ganymede 4:3 + Europa Case Study
(with R. Anderson and R. de la Llave)
Proceedings of the 2023 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Paper Link

Rapid GPU-Assisted Search and Parameterization-Based Refinement and Continuation of Connections between Tori in Periodically Perturbed Planar Circular Restricted 3-Body Problems
(with R. Anderson and R. de la Llave)
To appear in SIAM Journal on Applied Dynamical Systems, Preprint Link

Transfers between Jupiter-Ganymede and Jupiter-Europa Resonant Tori In a Concentric Circular Restricted 4-Body Model
(with R. Anderson and R. de la Llave)
Acta Astronautica, Paper Link

Computation and Analysis of Jupiter-Europa and Jupiter-Ganymede Resonant Orbits in the Planar Concentric Circular Restricted 4-Body Problem
(with R. Anderson, R. de la Llave, and B. Gunter)
Proceedings of the 2021 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Paper Link

Rapid and Accurate Methods for Computing Whiskered Tori and their Manifolds in Periodically Perturbed Planar Circular Restricted 3-Body Problems
(with R. Anderson and R. de la Llave)
Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, Paper Link, Preprint Link

High-order resonant orbit manifold expansions for mission design in the planar circular restricted 3-body problem
(with R. Anderson and R. de la Llave)
Communications in Nonlinear Science and Numerical Simulation, Paper Link, Preprint Link