• Spectral line formation in the solar photosphere and chromosphere

• Polarized radiative transfer

• Solar magnetic field measurements

• Atom-radiation interaction

• Head of the Science Working Group for Sunrise III

• Member of the Scientific organising committee for Solarnet Conference: The Many Scales of the Magnetic Sun

• Member of the organising committee for the AG2020 splinter session on Solar physics

• Referee for the journal Astronomy & Astrophysics

Full list of publications: NASA-ADS ORCiD Google Scholar Research Gate

1. Non-LTE formation of the Fe I 6173 A line in the solar atmosphere: Smitha, H. N., van Noort, M., Solanki, S. K. ,Castellanos Durán, J. S., 2023, A&A, 669, A144

2. Ti I lines at 2.2 microns as probes of the cool parts of sunspots: Smitha, H. N., Castellanos Durán, J. S., Solanki, S. K., Tiwari, S. K 2021, A&A, 653, A91

3. The influence of NLTE effects in Fe I lines on an inverted atmosphere. II. 6301 Å and 6302 Å lines formed in 3D NLTE: Smitha, H. N., Holzreuter, R.,  van Noort, M.,  Solanki, S. K. 2021, A&A, 647, A46

4. Solar Photosphere:  Chitta, L. P., Smitha, H. N., Solanki, S. K. 2020, Oxford Research Encyclopedia for physics

5. The influence of NLTE effects in Fe I lines on an inverted atmosphere. I. 6301 Å and 6302 Å lines formed in 1D NLTE:  Smitha, H. N., Holzreuter, R.,  van Noort, M.,  Solanki, S. K. 2020, A&A, 633, A157

6. Using the infrared iron lines to probe solar subsurface convection: Milić,  I., Smitha, H. N., Lagg,  A., 2019, A&A, 630,  A133

7. Observations of solar chromospheric heating at sub-arcsec spatial resolution: Smitha, H.N., Chitta, L. P., Wiegelmann, T., Solanki S.K. 2018, A&A, 617, A128

8. Probing photospheric magnetic fields with new spectral line pairs:  Smitha, H.N., Solanki S.K. 2017, A&A, 608, A111

9. Estimation of the Magnetic Flux Emergence Rate in the Quiet Sun from Sunrise Data: Smitha, H.N.,  Anusha, L.S., Solanki S.K., Riethmüller, T.L.  2017, ApJ,

10. The Quantum Interference Effects in the Sc II 4247 Å Line of the Second Solar Spectrum: Smitha, H. N.; Nagendra, K. N.; Stenflo, J. O.; Bianda, M.; Ramelli, R.  2014, ApJ

11. Center-to-limb Observations and Modeling of the Ca I 4227 Å Line:  Supriya, H. D.; Smitha, H. N.; Nagendra, K. N.; Stenflo, J. O.; Bianda, M.; Ramelli, R.; Ravindra, B.; Anusha, L. S.  2014,  ApJ

12. Modeling the Quantum Interference Signatures of the Ba II D2 4554 Å Line in the Second Solar Spectrum: Smitha, H. N.; Nagendra, K. N.; Stenflo, J. O.; Sampoorna, M. 2013, ApJ 

13. Quantum interference with angle-dependent partial frequency redistribution: solution of the polarized line transfer in the non-magnetic case: Supriya, H. D.; Smitha, H. N.; Nagendra, K. N.; Ravindra, B.; Sampoorna, M., 2013, ApJ

14. Polarized line formation with J-state interference in the presence of magnetic fields: A Heuristic treatment of collisional frequency redistribution: Smitha, H. N.; Nagendra, K. N.; Sampoorna, M.; Stenflo, J. O.  2013, JQSRT 

15. Polarized Line Transfer with F-state Interference in a Non-magnetic Medium: Partial Frequency Redistribution Effects in the Collisionless Regime: Smitha, H. N.; Sowmya, K.; Nagendra, K. N.; Sampoorna, M.; Stenflo, J. O. 2012, ApJ

16. J-state interference signatures in the second solar spectrum. Modeling the Cr i triplet at 5204-5208 Å: Smitha, H. N.; Nagendra, K. N.; Stenflo, J. O.; Bianda, M.; Sampoorna, M.; Ramelli, R.; Anusha, L. S.  2012, A&A

17. Radiative transfer with J-state interference in a two-term atom. Partial frequency redistribution in the non-magnetic case: Smitha, H. N.; Nagendra, K. N.; Sampoorna, M.; Stenflo, J. O. 2011, A&A

18. Analysis of the Forward-scattering Hanle Effect in the Ca I 4227 Å Line: Anusha, L. S.; Nagendra, K. N.; Bianda, M.; Stenflo, J. O.; Holzreuter, R.; Sampoorna, M.; Frisch, H.; Ramelli, R.; Smitha, H. N. 2011, ApJ

19. Observations of the forward scattering Hanle effect in the Ca I 4227 Å line: Bianda, M.; Ramelli, R.; Anusha, L. S.; Stenflo, J. O.; Nagendra, K.N.; Holzreuter, R.; Sampoorna, M.; Frisch, H.; Smitha, H. N. 2011, A&A

20. Polarized Line Formation with J-state Interference in the Presence of Magnetic Fields. I. Partial Frequency Redistribution in the Collisionless Regime:  Smitha, H. N.; Sampoorna, M.; Nagendra, K. N.; Stenflo, J. O. 2011, ApJ
    
    

2016: Nominated by the Alexander von Humboldt foundation to participate in the 66th Lindau Nobel Laureates meeting, Germany

2015: Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers 

2014: Awarded Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship under the European Union H2020 Programme (score 93/100)

2011: Indo-Swiss Joint Research Fellowship by mutual agreement between Department of Science and Technology, India and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland

2009: Seven gold medals for highest rank in M.Sc.

2007: A gold medal and four cash awards for highest rank in B. Sc. Awards received from Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, former President of India

2007: Certificate of excellence for highest score in mathematics, physics, and electronics during all three years in B. Sc.

2007: Scored 99.5% in 5th semester B.Sc, the highest ever in Bangalore University 

2007: Certificate of merit for being placed in the state-wise top 1% of Karnataka, India, in the National Graduate Physics examination 2005–2007 conducted by the Indian Association of Physics Teachers

06/2022 -- present : Scientist, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany

12/2017 -- 06/2022 : Postdoctoral researcher, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany

12/2015 -- 11/2017 : Humboldt postdoctoral fellow, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany

04/2015 -- 11/2015 : Postdoctoral researcher, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany

06/2014 -- 03/2015 : Postdoctoral fellow, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, India

06/2009 -- 05/2014 : Ph. D. Research fellow, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru, India Thesis title: "Application of polarized line formation theory to the solar spectrum"

06/2007 -- 05/2009 : Master of Science, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, India Specialization : Nuclear physics

06/2004 -- 05/2007 : Bachelor of Science, Bangalore University, Bengaluru, India Specialization : Physics, Mathematics and Electronics

• Are we measuring the photospheric magnetic fields correctly?  IThe Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, December 2022

• Are we measuring the photospheric magnetic fields correctly?  Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands, April 2022

• Are we measuring the photospheric magnetic fields correctly?  University of Glasgow, November 2021

• How wrong are the results of inverting Fe I lines when NLTE and 3D radiative transfer effects are neglected? European Solar Physics Meeting, september 2021

• How wrong are the results of inverting Fe I lines when NLTE and 3D radiative transfer effects are neglected? American Astronomical Society meeting 238, Solar Physics Division, June 2021

• Observations of chromospheric heating at sub-srcsec spatial resolution, IRIS-9, Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany, 2018

• A new line ratio pair in the infrared, GREGOR meeting, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, Germany, 2017

• Probing the photospheric magnetic field with new spectral line pairs, Annual Meeting of the Astronomische Gesellschaft 2017

• Multiline intensity inversions as magnetic field diagnostics, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Maryland, U.S.A., 2017

• Multiline intensity inversions as magnetic field diagnostics, Lockheed Martin Solar and Astrophysics Laboratory, Palo Alto, U.S.A., 2017

• Measurement of solar magnetic fields using multi-pair Stokes V line ratios, Solar Polarization Workshop 8, Florence, Italy, 2016

• Measuring magnetic fields on the Sun, Alexander von Humboldt Network meeting, Düsseldorf, Germany, 2016

• Flux Emergence rate in the quiet Sun from SUNRISE data, Solarnet IV, Lanzarote, Spain, 2016

• Deciphering the polarized spectrum of the Sun with atomic physics, Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam, Germany, 2015

• Quantum interferences in the second solar spectrum, Neighbourhood Astronomy Meeting, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore, 2014

• Measuring the chromospheric magnetic fields using forward modeling - an overview, Coupling and Dynamics of the Solar Atmosphere, Inter-University Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune, India, 2014

• Hanle effect and its application in the polarized solar spectrum, NLST- ADITYA meeting, Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bengaluru

• Quantum interference phenomenon in the second solar spectrum, Observatory of Geneva, Switzerland, 2012

• J-state interference phenomenon in the second solar spectrum, Physikalisch-Meteorologisches Observatorium Davos, World Radiation Center, Switzerland, 2011

• A revisit to model the Cr I at 5204-5208 Å and the Ba II D 2 at 4554 Å in the Second Solar Spectrum, IAU symposium 305: The Sun to Stars and Stellar Environments, Costa Rica

• The role of quantum interference and partial redistribution in the solar Ba II D2 line, Solar Polarization Workshop 7, Kunming, China