Pavlo Plotko

I am a PhD student at DESY. I am a high-energy astrophysicist and I have a keen interest in outreach and bouldering.

Education

PhD in Theoretical Astroparticle Physics

DESY Zeuthen within International Helmholtz-Weizmann Research School on Multimessenger Astronomy [01/09/2020 – Current] Zeuthen, Germany

Topic: Signature of UHECR nuclei in astrophysical sources and propagation

Supervisors: Winter Walter, Arjen van Vliet, Xavier Rodrigues.

Master’s degree in Astrophysics (Diploma with honours)

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine [01/09/2018 – 31/05/2020]

Thesis title: Acceleration and non-thermal emission of cosmic rays in Vela Jr. Supernova remnant

Supervisors: Hnatyk Bohdan and Iurii Sushch

Bachelor’s degree in Astrophysics (Diploma with honours)

Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine [01/09/2014 –30/06/2018]

Thesis title: Vela Supernova Remnant and its Pulsar Wind Nebula: Physical Characteristics and Radio Emission

Supervisors: Hnatyk Bohdan

Work and research experience

  • Visiting researcher,

    Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE [30/10/2022 – 1/12/2022]

  • Trainee Researcher

    DESY, Zeuthen, Germany [03/11/2019 – 03/12/2019], [17/02/2019 – 17/03/2019]

    Topic: Acceleration and non-thermal emission of cosmic rays in Supernova remnants

    Supervisors: Iurii Sushch

  • Trainee Researcher

    Astronomical Observatory of the Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland [01/07/2017 – 23/07/2017]

    Topic: Simulation of radiation emission from classical novae

    Supervisor: Lukasz Filip Stawarz

  • DESY Summer Student Programme 2019

    DESY, Zeuthen, Germany [17/07/2019 – 05/09/2019]

    Topic: Acceleration and non-thermal emission of cosmic rays in Supernova remnants

    Supervisors: Iurii Sushch

  • PhD student’s representative

    DESY, Zeuthen, Germany [01/04/2021 – 31/03/2022]

  • Student’s representative

    Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine [01/09/2018 – 31/05/2020]

  • Secretary of Local Organizing Committee

    Young Scientists’ Conference on Astronomy and Space Physics, Kyiv, Ukraine [01/09/2018 – 01/09/2020]

  • Web Development

    KyivDev, Kyiv, Ukraine [01/10/2017 – 25/12/2018]

    Front-end and back-end development

Digital skills

  • Scientific softs:

    PriNCe, PLUTO,RATPaC, CRpropa

  • Programming:

    Python / C++ / Qt / IDL / Arduino / Mathematica / Git

  • Web programming:

    HTML, CSS, JavaScript / Node.js / VueJS / PHP / MySQL / MongoDB

Teaching and mentoring

  • Supervisor of Valentyna Babur during DESY Ukraine Winter School 2023, Zeuthen, Germany [31/01/2023-10/03/2023]. Project: Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays propagation in extragalactic space from a single source.
  • Supervisor of Frederike Apel during DESY Summer School 2022, Zeuthen, Germany [18/07/2022-08/09/2022]. Project: Modeling the Gamma-ray burst afterglow emission.
  • Teaching Laboratory Practicum in Vacuum Physics. For elementary school students at DESY, Zeuthen, Germany [26.8.2022]
  • Helping preparing lectures and tutorails for Neutrino physics and astrophysics (theory) at University of Oxford and Humboldt university, [Winter semester 2020/21]
  • Preparing tutorials for Methodology of Science for undergraduate students at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine [1/9/2019-14/12/2019]
  • Tutor for Laboratory Practicum in Astronomy for an undergraduate student at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Kyiv, Ukraine [1/9/2019-14/12/2019]

Organizational experience

  • DESY Ukraine Winter School 2023 Zeuthen, Germany [31/01/2023-10/02/2023]. Organizer
  • Ukrainian International Cosmic Ray Day 2022 * [22/11/2022]*. Main organizer
  • APPEC Town Meeting 2022 * Berlin, Germany [9/06/2022]*. Chair of roundtables
  • AstroFights, Ukraine Ukraine [2021- Current]. Organizer and Judge
  • Workshop “Presentation of scientific results” Ukraine [11/05/2021-25/05/2021]. Main Organizer
  • Young Scientists’ Conference on Astronomy and Space Physics Ukraine.
    • Chair “High energy astrophysics” section [2021 – Current]
    • Local Organizing Committee [2014- Current]
  • Experimental Physics Olympiad for school students in Kyiv, Ukraine Ukraine [2015- Current]. Local Organizing Committee

Honours and awards

  • Scholarship of Zavtra.ua [2019]. The largest private nationwide program dedicated to supporting talented youth in Ukraine. Out of 300 applicants, I secured the 12th position among the 100 students awarded the scholarship.
  • *III place in Ukrainian Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics ** *[2015]
  • Scholarship of President of Ukraine [2014]. This scholarship is awarded to the best students and winners of national and international competitions in Ukraine.
  • II place in Research paper defense Competition of Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Student-members III stage [2014]
  • II place in Ukrainian Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics [2014]
  • II place in Ukrainian Young Physicist Tournament [2014]
  • III place in Research paper defense Competition of Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Student-members III stage [2013]

Memberships

  • AstroSandbox Ukraine [2021 – Current]
  • International Helmholtz-Weizmann Research School on Multimessenger Astronomy Germany-Israel [2020 – Current]
  • Local Organizing Committee of the Virtual Roentgen and Gamma Observatory (VIRGO.UA) Ukraine [2014 – Current]
  • Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Ukraine [2014 – 2019]

Hobbies and interests

Coffee, organizing conferences/meetups and volunteering at different events, bouldering and psychology