Light and curved space-time

Supermassive binary black holes (SMBBH) might form after two galaxies merge. If the binary reaches subparsec separations, gravitational waves (GW) can efficiently extract energy from the system and the black holes might eventually merge. Contrary to most stellar-mass black holes, SMBBHs might also be powerful sources of electromagnetic radiation accreting the gas of the galaxy. We still haven't found direct evidence of these systems but multimessenger observations combining light and gravitational waves with our theoretical models will allow us to shed light con galaxy evolution, black hole growth,  how AGNs work, and more.  I study these sources by performing complex GRMHD simulations which include General Relativity, radiation, and plasma dynamics. 

Colliding neutron stars and the origin of heavy elements.

Binary neutron star mergers are violent events that produce a variety of interesting phenomena as demonstrated by the first multimessenger event ever detected with gravitational waves, named GW170817). In particular, these mergers can eject copious amounts of neutron-rich matter, an ideal site for the rapid capture of neutrons (the r-process) which produce heavy atomic elements and bright thermal emission ---a kilonova. 

I model these fascinating sources by doing multi-physics multi-scale simulations complemented with analytical calculations and nuclear reaction networks in order to obtain light curves and abundance.

Accretion onto compact sources

Accretion in strong gravitational fields is the most efficient energy catalyst in nature. Matter falling onto a compact source can convert its gravitational potential energy into thermal/kinetic energy releasing powerful electromagnetic radiation.  I have a broad interest in the different phenomenology of accretion around very different sources from neutron stars and black holes at different scales, to even exotic objects such as wormholes! By modeling the light from these objects, we can find them and understand their cosmic history.

Relativistic outflows

Magnetic fields and plasmas are ubiquitous in the Universe and they mediate most of the high-energy phenomena we observe in the sky. In the presence of curved spacetime, they can amplify and extract energy from the system very efficiently. I study how the fields behave in strong gravity and the properties of the outflows they generate. 

Neutron stars and their environment

Neutron stars are, perhaps, our most valuable astronomical laboratory for understanding matter in extreme conditions that cannot be attained on Earth.  I investigate what happens in their environment and their interior when they are young, hot and magnetized, and also when they are cold and old.

Cosmic explosions

When stars die, they usually go in violent explosions liberating enormous amounts of energy. I investigate these processes in the form of an accretion induced collapse or a core-collapse using state of the art simulation.