// RESEARCH PORTFOLIO

RAFE
 SHARIF

Bridging the gap between Stellar Astrophysics and Data-Driven Computation.

EXPLORE LAB GITHUB

Research Interests

My work sits at the intersection of stellar astrophysics and data-driven computation. I study stellar populations and open clusters, focusing on dynamical evolution and star-formation histories using large surveys like Gaia DR3. I develop and apply machine learning and probabilistic techniques for scalable astro-data analysis.

  • Stellar Populations
  • Open Cluster Dynamics
  • Gaia DR3 Analysis
  • Probabilistic Modeling

Education

B.Sc. in Physics

Minor: Computer Science

Amirkabir University of Technology

2019 — 2024

GPA: 3.82 / 4.00

Minor GPA: 4.00 / 4.00

Thesis: Study of Open Star Clusters using Gaia Satellite Data

02. RESEARCH & EXPERIENCE

Aug 2024 — Present

Supernova Activity Signatures in Collinder 69

Research Assistant | Supervisor: Dr. M. Khakian Ghomi

Analyzing kinematics, spatial substructure, and chemical-abundance trends to test for signatures of a supernova event.

Sep 2022 — May 2024

Probabilistic Membership of Open Clusters with MST-GMM

Research Assistant | Supervisor: Dr. M. Khakian Ghomi

Designed and evaluated an MST-GMM classifier for Gaia sources to produce probabilistic cluster memberships.

Jan 2024 — Present

Teaching Assistant, Numerical Linear Algebra

Department of Mathematics & CS, AUT

Assist in exercise sessions; support students in numerical methods and matrix computations.

2023 — Present

Patent Drafter

Ikaf LLC (Part-time)

Draft and edit patent applications in physics and engineering fields.

rafe@lab: ~/research
rafe@lab:~/research$ ls -la
drwxr-xr-x mst-gmm-classifier/ MST-GMM probabilistic cluster membership Python
drwxr-xr-x supernova-tracing/ Collinder 69 kinematics & abundances Gaia DR3
drwxr-xr-x tensor-linear-systems/ Einstein-Notation Methods for AX=b NumPy
drwxr-xr-x gan-autoencoder-mnist/ GANs & Autoencoders for digits PyTorch
drwxr-xr-x hopf-bifurcation/ Computational Analysis of Hopf Bifurcation Python
drwxr-xr-x hpso-ls-feature-selection/ Hybrid PSO with Local Search Python
rafe@lab:~/research$

PUBLICATIONS

In Preparation

Tracing a Supernova Event in Collinder 69: Evidence from Gaia DR3

Rafe Sharif, M. Taefi, M. Khakian Ghomi

Under Review

A Sequential Approach to Identifying Open Star Cluster Members in Gaia DR3: Integrating MST and GMM Techniques

Rafe Sharif, M. Khakian Ghomi, M. Taefi

SKILLS & HONORS

Programming

Python (NumPy, SciPy, PyTorch) scikit-learn SQL LaTeX

Astro Data

Gaia DR3 Querying Probabilistic Membership Stellar Kinematics
2024
Ranked 4th among 34 Physics students
AUT Dept. of Physics
2019
Top 1.5% in Nationwide Entrance Exam
Konkour (Mathematics)
102
TOEFL iBT Score
English Proficiency (Oct 2024)

RESEARCH VISUALS

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Quantum
SIM_01 Quantum Core
Neural
SIM_02 Neural Pathways
Space
SIM_03 Stellar Dynamics