Magnetic fields are a fundamental component of galaxy clusters, regulating cosmic-ray transport, plasma thermodynamics, and the dynamics of the intracluster medium. Yet their origin, amplification, and three-dimensional structure remain poorly understood, in large part because traditional probes such as synchrotron polarization and Faraday rotation provide only limited, 2D information. A...
Recent observations of the Sunburst Arc galaxy have uncovered the presence of young ($\sim 2-4\,\rm Myr$), massive ($M_\star \sim 10^7\,\rm M_\odot$), and compact ($R_{\rm eff} \sim 8\,\rm pc$) super star clusters. These clusters are characterized by high-pressure, low-metallicity gas ($0.2\,Z_\odot$) with an anomalously elevated nitrogen-to-oxygen ratio $\log ({\rm N/O}) \geq -0.5$, deviating...
Extreme precision radial velocity (EPRV) measurements, capable of capturing signals with a semi-major amplitude of just 10-30 cm/s, are needed to needed to uncover low-mass planets, inform planet formation scenarios, and reveal atmospheric composition. Achieving this level of precision spectroscopy requires innovation at all levels, from the instrumentation to the extraction software to the...
The enormous gravitational binding energy rapidly released in compact binary mergers and the collapse of massive stars can power the most luminous transients in the Universe. In the past decade, multi-messenger observations of these violent events have shed light on the nature of plasma at very high densities and the origin of heavy elements. At the same time, the improvement of computational...
Binary neutron star mergers serve as unique laboratories for studying dense matter and gravity, from finite-size interactions during the late inspiral to the complex dynamics of the post-merger phase. In this talk, I will first discuss the dynamical tides of neutron stars, investigating the roles of compositional stratification, solid components, and possible QCD phase transitions. I examine...
The spectra of high-redshift (z ~ 6) quasars reveal numerous metal absorption lines, yet it remains unclear how early galaxies transported heavy elements from compact star-forming regions into their large-scale (~100 kpc) gaseous environments. What are the origins of these early metals? How did they reach their observed locations? And what role did they play in cosmic reionization?
In this...
Giant planets play a crucial role in shaping planetary systems. When formed early, they can dynamically organize surrounding planetesimals, inducing apsidal alignment that suppresses random velocities—even if eccentricities are excited—thereby promoting the growth of inner rocky planets. Under such conditions, giant planets may support, rather than hinder, terrestrial planet...
A probability distribution function is first and foremost a model for a real configuration of particles (stars, electrons, etc). On the other hand, statistical mechanics is a way of modelling a real system by an ensemble of models which all share the same bulk qualities (e.g. internal energy, volume, and number of particles). I present an unbiased method of selecting models for a given...
Deep generative models offer powerful tools for solving astrophysical inference problems by enabling flexible representations of prior knowledge and likelihood functions.
In the first part of the talk, I will discuss how generative models can be employed to construct likelihood functions for cosmological inference at the field level, enabling more effective extraction of information...
The field of astronomy is experiencing a profound shift driven by machine learning, particularly deep learning, which enables efficient processing of vast datasets, surpassing human capabilities in complex data analysis. In this talk, I will showcase the diverse capabilities of AI in astronomy, focusing on tasks related to star formation and the interstellar medium. I will present our AI...
Since the 1970s, four basic solutions of the accretion flow have been discovered, namely the Shakura–Sunyaev thin disk, the Shapiro–Lightman–Eardley (SLE) solution, the slim disk, and the advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF). Although they have achieved great success in interpreting observations in various systems, there are still some questions challenging these theoretical frameworks:...
The existence of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) at $z>6$ poses a profound challenge to our understanding of their formation and growth. This long-standing puzzle is intensified by recent JWST discoveries of accreting SMBHs at $z \sim 7-10$ with inferred masses up to $\sim 10^{7-8} \rm M_{\odot}$, which require the formation of massive seeds followed by rapid, sustained accretion. A leading...
Context. The majority of massive stars are born with a close binary companion. How this affects their evolution and fate is still largely uncertain, especially at low metallicity.
Aims. We derive synthetic populations of massive post-interaction binary products and compare them with corresponding observed populations in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC).
Methods. We analyse 53298 detailed...
Accurate modeling of gravitational-wave (GW) waveforms is a crucial component of GW detection and parameter estimation. The waveform templates for GW astronomy are primarily based on the effective-one-body framework and the phenomenological framework. However, in the case of binary systems with complex orbital dynamics, such as eccentric binaries, these waveform templates still face challenges...
Low-angular momentum accretion onto black holes represents distinct differences from the standard disk paradigm, giving rise to transonic flows, standing shocks, and dynamically evolving structures in the near-horizon region. Using advanced general relativistic magnetohydrodynamic (GRMHD) simulations, we investigate the nonlinear behavior and long-term evolution of such flows around rotating...
