Career

• 2021-present: Professor of Astrophysics, DAMTP, University of Cambridge
• 2018-2021: Reader in Astrophysics, DAMTP, University of Cambridge
• 2016-2018: University Lecturer in Astrophysics, DAMTP, University of Cambridge
• 2015-2016: Visiting Faculty Member, Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton, USA)
• 2007-2015: Assistant Professor, Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (USA)
• 2005-2007: Assistant Professor, Canadian Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics, University of Toronto (Canada) 

Research

Roman Rafikov is a member of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics research group. His current research interests include (but are not limited to) the following areas:

• exoplanets (around single and binary stars; young, main sequence, and evolved stars)  
• planet formation and dynamics
• astrophysical fluid dynamics
• accretion disks (protoplanetary, disks in binaries, quasars, etc.)
• N-body and galactic dynamics
• high-energy astrophysics

Selected Publications

• Vartanyan, D., Garmilla, J. A., & Rafikov, R. R. (2016) "Tatooine Nurseries: Structure and Evolution of Circumbinary Protoplanetary Disks", The Astrophysical Journal, 816, id. 94
• Philippov, A. A., Rafikov, R. R., & Stone, J. M. (2016) "Spreading Layers in Accreting Objects: Role of Acoustic Waves for Angular Momentum Transport, Mixing, and Thermodynamics", The Astrophysical Journal, 817, id. 62
• Macintosh, B., ..., Rafikov, R. R., et al (2015), "Discovery and spectroscopy of the young jovian planet 51 Eri b with the Gemini Planet Imager", Science, 350, Issue 6256, 64
• Rafikov, R. R. (2015) "Viscosity Prescription for Gravitationally Unstable Accretion Disks", The Astrophysical Journal, 804, id. 62
• Silsbee, K. & Rafikov, R. R. (2015) "Birth Locations of the Kepler Circumbinary Planets", The Astrophysical Journal, 808, id. 58
• Silsbee, K. & Rafikov, R. R. (2015) "Planet Formation in Binaries: Dynamics of Planetesimals Perturbed by the Eccentric Protoplanetary Disk and the Secondary", The Astrophysical Journal, 798, id. 71
• Dong, R., Zhu, Z., Rafikov, R. R., & Stone, J. M. (2015) "Observational Signatures of Planets in Protoplanetary Disks: Spiral Arms Observed in Scattered Light Imaging Can be Induced by Planets", The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 809, id. L5
• Chabrier, G., Johansen, A., Janson, M., & Rafikov, R. (2014) "Giant Planet and Brown Dwarf Formation", Protostars and Planets VI, 619
• Zhu, Z., Stone, J. M., Rafikov, R. R., & Bai, X. (2014), "Particle Concentration at Planet-induced Gap Edges and Vortices. I. Inviscid Three-dimensional Hydro Disks", The Astrophysical Journal, 785, id. 122
• Ju, W., Greene, J. E., Rafikov, R. R., et al (2013) "Search for Supermassive Black Hole Binaries in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Spectroscopic Sample", The Astrophysical Journal, 777, id. 44
• Rafikov, R. R. (2013) "Structure and Evolution of Circumbinary Disks around Supermassive Black Hole Binaries", The Astrophysical Journal, 774, id. 144
• Belyaev, M. A., Rafikov, R. R. & Stone, J. M. (2013) "Angular Momentum Transport by Acoustic Modes Generated in the Boundary Layer. II. Magnetohydrodynamic Simulations", The Astrophysical Journal, 770, id. 68
• Belyaev, M. A., Rafikov, R. R. & Stone, J. M. (2013) "Angular Momentum Transport by Acoustic Modes Generated in the Boundary Layer. I. Hydrodynamical Theory and Simulations", The Astrophysical Journal, 770, id. 67
• Rafikov, R. R. (2013) "Building Tatooine: Suppression of the Direct Secular Excitation in Kepler Circumbinary Planet Formation", The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 764, id. L16
• Rafikov, R. R. (2013) "Planet Formation in Small Separation Binaries: Not so Secularly Excited by the Companion", The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 765, id. L8
• Belyaev, M. A., Rafikov, R. R., & Stone, J.M. (2012) "Angular Momentum Transport and Variability in Boundary Layers of Accretion Disks Driven by Global Acoustic Modes", The Astrophysical Journal, 760, id. 22
• Metzger, B. D., Rafikov, R. R., & Bochkarev, K. V. (2012) "Global models of runaway accretion in white dwarf debris discs", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 423, 505
• Rafikov, R. R. & Petrovich, C. (2012) "The Origin of the Negative Torque Density in Disk-Satellite Interaction", The Astrophysical Journal, 747, id. 24
• Dong, R., Rafikov, R., Zhu, Z., et al (2012), "The Missing Cavities in the SEEDS Polarized Scattered Light Images of Transitional Protoplanetary Disks: A Generic Disk Model", The Astrophysical Journal, 750, id. 161
• Rafikov, R. R. (2011) "Runaway accretion of metals from compact discs of debris on to white dwarfs", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, 416, L55
• "Metal Accretion onto White Dwarfs Caused by Poynting-Robertson Drag on their Debris Disks", The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 732, id. L3
• Rafikov, R. R. (2011) "Constraint on the Giant Planet Production by Core Accretion", The Astrophysical Journal, 727, id. 86
• Belyaev, M. A. & Rafikov, R. R. (2010) "The Dynamics of Dust Grains in the Outer Solar System", The Astrophysical Journal, 723, 1718
• Rafikov, R. R. (2009) "Properties of Gravitoturbulent Accretion Disks", The Astrophysical Journal, 704, 281
• Rafikov, R. R. (2007) "Convective Cooling and Fragmentation of Gravitationally Unstable Disks", The Astrophysical Journal, 662, 642
• Rafikov, R. R. (2006) "Atmospheres of Protoplanetary Cores: Critical Mass for Nucleated Instability", The Astrophysical Journal, 648, 666
• Rafikov, R. R. (2005) "Can Giant Planets Form by Direct Gravitational Instability?", The Astrophysical Journal, 621, L69
• Rafikov, R. R. & Goldreich, P. (2005) "Magnetospheric Eclipses in the Double-Pulsar System PSR J0737-3039", The Astrophysical Journal, 631, 488
• Rafikov, R. R. (2004) "Fast Accretion of Small Planetesimals by Protoplanetary Cores", The Astronomical Journal, 128, 1348
• Rafikov, R. R. (2003), "The Growth of Planetary Embryos: Orderly, Runaway, or Oligarchic?",
  The Astronomical Journal, 125, 942
• Rafikov, R. R. (2002) "Planet Migration and Gap Formation by Tidally Induced Shocks", The Astrophysical Journal, 572, 566
• Rafikov, R. R. (2002) "Nonlinear Propagation of Planet-generated Tidal Waves", The Astrophysical Journal, 569, 997
• Goodman, J. & Rafikov, R. R. (2001) "Planetary Torques as the Viscosity of Protoplanetary Disks", The Astrophysical Journal, 552, 793
• Rafikov, R. R. (2001) "The local axisymmetric instability criterion in a thin, rotating, multicomponent disc", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 323, 445