High-Energy Astrophysics

Strong gravitational fields in the vicinity of black holes and neutron stars give rise to a variety of exotic high energy phenomena in X-ray binaries, active galactic nuclei and gamma-ray bursts. TA scientists use theoretical models and numerical magnetohydrodynamics simulations to investigate the physics of accretion flows in these compact objects, as well as the formation and acceleration of relativistic jets. Comparisons of theoretical models with observational data provide unique information on the accreting star, such as the radius of a neutron star, the spin of a black hole, or the presence of an event horizon.