Asti N. Bhatt, Ph.D.,.works to understand the physics of ionospheric plasma during auroral precipitation at high latitudes by using the SRI-operated Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar facility in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland,. Studying aurora using both radio and optical techniques provides unique insights into the amount of energy deposited into the earth’s ionosphere during solar storms and resulting auroral precipitation.

Bhatt also studies global scale ionospheric processes that span continents—in particular, the propagation of large-scale waves in the ionosphere in response to forcing from solar or lower atmospheric events. With fellow researcher Elizabeth Kendall, Bhatt has developed an all-sky imager to study ionospheric airglow and low-latitude aurora. They are currently working to create a network of these imagers across the continental U.S. in collaboration with rural high schools.

Bhatt has a B.E. in electronics and communications from the Gujarat University. Her M.S. degree in electrical engineering is from Utah State University. Her Ph.D. in electrical engineering is from Cornell University. Her post-doctoral appointments include MIT’s Haystack Observatory and Cornell University.

She is the author or co-author of more than 10 publications, and has participated in organizing several workshops and conference sessions related to her research.