Institute of Theoretical Physics
Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University
V Holešovičkách 2
180 00 Praha 8
Czech Republic
fields of interest
I study the dynamics of astrophysical systems in strong gravity near black holes. My work investigates how objects—from stars and plasma clouds to compact objects—move and evolve in curved spacetime and how their behavior is reflected in observable signals. In other words, I am interested in how gravitational waves and electromagnetic observations—from radio waves to X-rays—can be used together to explore the physics of black holes and test gravity in its extreme.
Specifically, I focus on the spiraling of compact objects into supermassive black holes and the gravitational waves generated by these processes. These inspirals can be with an extreme mass ratio (EMRI), which will be observed by the LISA space mission, or with an intermediate mass ratio (IMRI), which is the target of next-generation detectors such as the Einstein Telescope. I am investigating how such inspirals are shaped by perturbations, environmental effects, and deviations from integrability, and the traces left on gravitational wave signals. However, a spiraling object can also collide with clouds of hot plasma around a black hole, which can lead to observable flares, which I am also investigating.
In terms of methods, I draw on classical general relativity, Hamiltonian mechanics, and dynamical systems theory, using both analytical perturbative expansions and numerical simulations. This combination allows me to create accurate models of these astrophysical processes or to analyze when the dynamics remain integrable, when they become chaotic, and how these regimes affect astrophysical predictions.