Research Activities

Here, I outline my research interests. Do not esitate to contact me to get further details.

Machine Learning applied to Astrophysics

Machine Learning represents an important step forward in advanicng many astrophycs task. In this paper, we used XGBoost to learn how to classify two different populations of black holes: Those generated in the distant Universe and those generated in close-by galaxies. Distant black holes will be observed by the Einstein Telescope: A third-generation detector for observing gravitaitonal-waves.

Development of the Einstein Telescope science case

The Einstein Telescope is a third-generation gravitational-wave detector designed to be built underground. It will enable us to observe black hole mergers from deep space. To prepare for this, I have begun investigating the potential sources that the Einstein Telescope will detect, including black holes formed from Population III stars, the first generation of stars ever created.

Black hole mergers across cosmic time

This topic forms the core of my PhD thesis, where I investigated how black hole mergers evolve over cosmic time. Specifically, I examined the expected number of black hole mergers at various distances from Earth, including those in the high-redshift Universe. This work is crucial for preparing the science case for the Einstein Telescope. To approach this, I considered two formation channels for black holes:

Isolated formation channel

Black holes can form directly from the evolution of massive stars. For two black holes to merge, they need to be part of the same binary system. These systems, known as field binaries, exist in nature. Black holes formed this way are said to have generated from the isolated formation channel. In this paper, I analyzed the physical processes during binary evolution that influence the total number of merging black holes.

Dynamical formation channel

The isolated formation channel is not the only mechanism for black hole formation. Dynamical interactions between stars can also lead to black hole mergers. In this paper, I compared this dynamical formation channel with the isolated one to assess their relative contributions.

Constraining models with observations

Constraining theory with observations is a fundamental aspect of the scientific method, and this is equally true in gravitational-wave astrophysics. A key feature of our approach is the use of hierarchical Bayesian analysis. In this paper, we investigated the number of black holes formed through the isolated and the dynamical formation channels by analyzing observational data.

Host galaxies of black holes and neutron stars

When two black holes or two neutron stars merge, it typically occurs within a specific galaxy, as both black holes and neutron stars are formed inside galaxies. In this paper, I investigated the relationship between the physical processes that shape galaxy properties and the massive stars in binary systems. Studying this relationship is challenging due to the large scales involved. I needed to connect phenomena occurring at the galactic scale with those at the level of individual stars. Despite the complexity, understanding the host galaxies is crucial. It reveals how the properties of black holes and neutron stars are connected to the evolution of the Universe, highlighting the importance of gravitational waves as a tool for exploring our cosmos.