I have a wide range of research interests in solar and solar-terrestrial plasma physics, solar/medical imaging and pattern recognition/ classification. In general, I am interested in:

Solutions of non-linear partial differential equations (PDEs):
 - particle motion in 3D magnetic field topology
- Fokker-Planck equations for particle precipitation
 - radiative transfer PDEs for multi-level atoms

Solutions of systems of non-linear PDEs:
- two fluid hydrodynamics,
 - multi-elements radiative transfer,
 - Particle-in-Cell (PIC) (joint solutions motion PDE with Maxwell equations)

- Magnetic Topology during magnetic reconnection
 - Impact Excitation/Ionisation by thermal and non-thermal electrons/protons
 - Automated pattern recognition on full disk solar images
 - Artificial Intelligence Methods
 - Solar activity patterns derived from long series (>36 years) of full disk magnetograms
 - Classification of solar activity patterns with Artificial Intelligence methods (ANN, MCMC etc.)
- Interpretation of solar activity patterns with Parker’s two layer solar dynamo model
 - Pattern recognition and classification in EGSO (EU funded project) - Solar Feature Catalogues

More information on the research carried by Prof. Zharkova can be found here.

I am a Professor in Mathematics at Northumbria University. I have BSc/MSc in Applied Mathematics and Astronomy, a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, certificate in project management.

I graduated from the National University of Kyiv, Ukraine in 1975 with a BSc/M.Sc. first class with distinction degree in Applied Mathematics and Physics (joint honours). In 1975-1978 worked as Junior researcher at Physics and Applied Maths Department, then moved to the Solar Division of the Main Astronomical Observatory, Kyiv, Ukraine for my Ph.D. studies in Applied Mathematics/Solar Theory. After successfully defending my thesis in non-LTE radiative transfer entitled “Hydrogen emission in quiescent solar prominences with filamentary structure", I worked at Space Science Laboratory, Physics Department, National University of Kyiv as junior researcher, lecturer/researcher senior lecturer/senior researcher (1978-1994). In 1992 I joined the Astronomy Group of Glasgow University as the Senior Royal Society visitor, then a Research Fellow (1993-1999). In 2000 I became a Lecturer at the University of Bradford, in 2002 I was appointed to a Reader and in 2005 to a Professor in Applied Mathematics. From September 2013 I joined the Northumbria University as a Professor in Mathematics.