Massive black holes (MBHs) are found in the centres of most massive galaxies. When two galaxies merge, their respective MBHs are brought together, some of them will eventually coalesce and become powerful sources of gravitational waves (GWs). The detection of GWs from stellar-mass black hole binaries by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) marked the dawn of the GW ast...
Advances in astrophysics are often data driven. Yet, large observing facilities capable of collecting the most sensitive data are expensive. Telescope time therefore constitutes a precious resource, part of which is allocated via an open and competitive process. In this session, I will share reflections on observing proposal writing, aimed primarily at junior scientists (PhDs, postdocs) who are...
The Universe started without the heavy elements that make the complexity of our surrounding world (e.g. carbon, oxygen). In this talk, I will showcase advances in the numerical modelling of how these chemical elements are produced in stars, how they are dispersed around young galaxies by energetic events, and how they get ionized to power the emission and absorption lines we observe in the spec...
Blurred reflection features are commonly observed in the X-ray spectra of accreting black holes. In the presence of high-quality data and with the correct astrophysical model, X-ray reflection spectroscopy is a powerful tool to probe the strong gravity region of black holes, study the morphology of the accreting matter, measure black hole spins, and test Einstein's theory of General Relativity ...
<p>The hierarchical assembly of galaxies and dynamics in galactic nuclei naturally predict a significant population of off-nuclear massive black holes (MBHs), yet direct observational evidence remains scarce. The demographics of these off-nuclear MBHs offer critical insights into the formation of MBH mergers, the nature of ultra-compact dwarf galaxies, and the co-evolution of MBHs and their host g...</p>
<p>I will discuss the role of non-thermal pressure support as a major source of the difference between the hydrostatic and the total ``true'' halo mass in galaxy clusters. I will present new models and methods to constrain the non-thermal pressure, highlighting the role of the next generation of X-ray observatories, like XRISM and NewAthena, in constructing a consistent picture of the formation an...</p>
<p>Ultra-Diffuse Galaxies (UDGs) represent an extraordinary class of galaxies with effective radii comparable to the Milky Way yet stellar masses only 1/100 to 1/1000 of our Galaxy. Found in a variety of cosmic environments—from galaxy clusters and groups to large-scale filaments and cosmic voids—their origins remain a subject of intense debate, positioning them at the forefront of extragalactic...</p>
<p>The Local Group (LG), as a gravitationally bound system of the Milky Way and Andromeda, as well as their satellites, is a cornerstone of near-field cosmology. However, its utility as a cosmological probe requires understanding how it is related to the cosmic web. Using the ABACUSSUMMIT simulation, we identify LG analogues and quantify their environmental dependence. We find that the coupling en...</p>
<p>Ultra-hot Jupiter is a class of giant exoplanets with extremely high temperatures. Due to their unique chemical and physical properties, this class of exoplanet have become a popular research subject in recent years. In this talk, I will present observed results of ultra-hot Jupiters using both transmission and emission spectroscopy. We conducted a survey of a dozen ultra-hot Jupiters using gro...</p>
<p>Compact objects, including white dwarfs, neutron stars, and black holes, serve as exceptional laboratories for probing fundamental physical processes under extreme conditions in the universe. Binary systems hosting these compact objects represent a crucial pathway for characterizing their properties and advancing our understanding of accretion physics and stellar evolution. While compact object...</p>