I am a high-energy theoretical and computational astrophysicist. My research focuses on understanding multimessenger emission from the accretion flows and outflows of compact objects such as supermassive (binary) black holes. I use numerical relativity and magnetohydrodynamic codes, such as the Einstein Toolkit, IllinoisGRMHD, and H-AMR, to simulate these systems from first principles.

Currently, I work with Professor Vasileios Paschalidis to study accretion onto supermassive binary black holes with the goal of identifying their unique electromagnetic signals. We study these systems by solving Einstein's equations of general relativity to accurately model the spacetime, and then evolving the magnetohydrodynamic equations on the curved spacetime to simulate the accretion flow.

I am a member of the Theoretical Astrophysics Program (TAP) and the Transient Astrophysics group (SONATA) at the University of Arizona. Additionally, I am a core member of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) Consortium within the Astrophysics Working Group.

Selected Publications

[Google Scholar] [SciX]

1. Vikram Manikantan and Vasileios Paschalidis, 2025, "Magnetically arrested minidisks around nonspinning binary black holes: The MAD scenario for circumbinary disk accretion," Phys. Rev. D 112, 103050. [arXiv] [publisher] [pdf]
2. Vikram Manikantan, Vasileios Paschalidis, and Gabriele Bozzola, 2025, "Effects of eccentricity on accreting binary black holes: MHD simulations in full GR reveal novel periodicities in jet power and synchrotron spectra," Phys. Rev. D 112, 043004. [arXiv][publisher] [pdf]
3. Vikram Manikantan, Vasileios Paschalidis, and Gabriele Bozzola, 2025, "Coincident Multimessenger Bursts from Eccentric Supermassive Binary Black Holes," ApJL, 984 L47. [arXiv][publisher] [pdf]
4. Vikram Manikantan, Nick Kaaz, Jonatan Jacquemin-Ide, et al. 2024, "Winds and Disk Turbulence Exert Equal Torques on Magnetically Arrested Disks," ApJ, 965 175. [arXiv] [publisher] [pdf]

Selected Talks

1. "Binary Black Holes Gone MAD: Magnetically Arrested Minidisks Around Nonspinning Black Holes," American Physical Society Global Summit, March 2026. (Upcoming contributed talk)


2. "Coincident Multimessenger Bursts from Eccentric Supermassive Binary Black Holes," 33rd Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics, December 2025. (Contributed talk) [slides]
3. "Binary Black Holes Gone MAD" Event Horizon Telescope Theory Working Group Meeting, November 2025. (Virtual) [slides]
4. "Eccentric Binary Black Holes: MHD Simulations in Full GR Reveal Novel Periodicities in Jet Power and Synchrotron Spectra," American Physical Society Global Summit, April 2025. (Contributed talk) [slides]