We are looking for postdoc and PhD students to begin in 2027.
Ondřej Pejcha (group leader)
Bachelor (2006) & Master (2008): ITP MFF UK, advisor Dr. David Heyrovský
PhD (2013): Ohio State University, advisor Prof. Todd Thompson
Postdoc (2013-2017): Princeton University, NASA Hubble and Lyman Spitzer Jr. Fellow
Interests: binary stars, mergers, neutron stars, black holes, core-collapse supernovae, stellar dynamics, transients, and temporal variability in the sky
Curriculum vitae
List of publications
Mara Čutura (PhD student)
since 2026, Master from University of Geneva
Marco Laversveiler (PhD student)
since 2025, Master from Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
Jan Kříž (Master student)
since 2025
Šárka Sedláčková (project management)
Former members
Postdocs
- Damien Gagnier – postdoc (2021-2024), next position postdoc at Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, papers on post-dynamical inspiral phase of common envelope evolution: binary orbit evolution and angular momentum transport, the role of magnetic fields, and the journey to the center
- Diego Calderón – postdoc (2019-2023), published paper, another paper, next position: postdoc at Hamburg University, Humboldt Fellow at MPA Garching
- Petr Kurfürst – postdoc, published paper, next position: Masaryk University
- Michał Pawlak – postdoc, published papers one and two, next position: postdoc at Jagiellonian University
PhD students
- Jakub Cehula – PhD (2021-2025) on Theory of stellar mass loss: from binary stars to magnetars, next position at Tartu Observatory/Slovak Academy of Sciences, Master (2021) on Stability of stars undergoing rapid mass loss, papers on A theory of mass transfer in binary stars, On the effects of radiation on mass transfer in binary stars, Dynamics of baryon ejection in magnetar giant flares: implications for radio afterglows, r-process nucleosynthesis, and fast radio bursts
- Anthony Kirilov – PhD (since 2021, paused in 03/2025)
- Milan Pešta – PhD (2020-2024), postdoc (2024/2025) on Illuminating binary star evolution with observed populations and theoretical modeling, next position Czech Science foundation postdoc fellow at Ohio State University. Papers on Mass-ratio distribution of contact binary stars and Distinguishing between light curves of ellipsoidal variables with massive dark companions, contact binaries, and semidetached binaries using principal component analysis
- Camille Landri– PhD (2020-2024) on Theory and observations of two stars undergoing strong interaction, next position postdoc at KU Leuven. Papers on OGLE-BLG504.12.201843: A possible extreme dwarf nova, Driving asymmetric red supergiant winds with binary interactions, The Effect of Donor Star Rejuvenation on Common Envelope Evolution
Master and Bachelor students
- Jakub Hadač – Bachelor (2026) on Simulations of mass transfer in binary star systems with the effect of radiation pressure
- Šimon Brunovský – Bachelor (2026) on Circumbinary disks around stellar mergers
- Michal Jireš – Bachelor (2024) on Simulation of rings surrounding the progenitor of SN1987A
- Michal Jireš – Bachelor (2024) on Simulation of rings surrounding the progenitor of SN1987A
- David Vokrouhlický – Master (2023) on Structure and evolution of stars deformed by a nearby companion, continuing with PhD at Institute of Physics, Prague
- Matěj Mezera – Bachelor (2020) on Dynamical perturbations of triple stellar and planetary systems seen in gravitational waves with LI
- Dominika Hubová – Bachelor (2018) on Mass loss from binary stars, paper published in MNRAS, Master (2021) on Angular momentum loss from binary systems due to stellar winds
Other
- Karel Kraus – student intern (2025), hydrodynamics on GPUs
- Petr Jakubčík (Oxford)- summer project on damped random walk modelling of ASAS-SN light curves, co-author on published paper
- Antonina Bako – project management