About the project
Black holes in our Galaxy, with masses between 5 and 15 times that of our Sun, form when massive stars explode in supernovae. These dense objects are so compact that not even light can escape their immense gravitational pull. Fortunately, some black holes reside in binary systems with companion stars. When the black hole is close enough to its stellar companion, it draws gas from the star, gradually reshaping it into a pear-like form. This pulled gas doesn’t plunge directly into the black hole but spirals inwards, forming an accretion disk—similar to water swirling down a drain.
This project aims to answer key questions:
- What fundamental physics govern the behavior of these accretion disks?
- What conditions lead to the formation of ultra-fast winds and powerful jets?
You will join the high-energy astrophysics group to investigate these critical aspects of black hole accretion physics. This work will involve analyzing high-time-resolution data from NASA’s cutting-edge X-ray instrument, the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), alongside data from advanced optical, infrared, and radio observatories.
