Information Page of SAS Employee

In my research, I mainly study eclipsing binary stars and multiple stellar systems. The main goal of the research is determination of component parameters (masses, radii and luminosities) and orbital elements (mainly orbital period, inclination angle and orbital eccentricity). The study of the individual objects uses a combination of different types of observations, namely photometric (measurement of the brightness), spectroscopic (determination of the radial velocity and atmospheric parameters of the system‘s components) and interferometric (positional measurements). Combination of different types of measurements decreases parameter correlation and leads to a more robust model of the system. I also study objects with surface and chromospheric activity. It is primarily resulting in a presence of dark spots but also flares. For this kind of research it is important to analyze spectral line profiles, which enables us to map stellar surface.

The second area of my interest are transiting exoplanets, where the existence of a substellar body can be found from precise measurements of the brightness of the parent star. The stellar brightness drops during the transit by not more than 2-3%. I specialize in planets orbiting hot and rapidly rotating stars. Analysis of spectroscopic and photometric observations enables us to determine misalignment of the stellar rotational axis and the orbital plane. This often causes a measurable precession of the planetary orbit and enables us to get an insight on the origin and evolution of these systems. High-precision satellite photometry plays an important role here (particularly Kepler, TESS and CHEOPS).