Working Group 4: Plasmas in Strong Gravity

Leader: Alexandra Veledina

Co-Leader: Oliver Porth

Research

WG4 investigates plasma behaviour in curved spacetime near black holes and neutron stars, where gravity strongly influences plasma dynamics and emission.

Key Scientific Questions

• Are kinetic plasma processes significantly modified by strong gravity?
• How are emission properties (multi-wavelength spectra, polarisation, imaging) shaped by strong gravity and radiation fields?
• How can plasmas in curved spacetime be modelled accurately and efficiently?

Key Objectives / Main Tasks

• Advance 3D modelling of accretion flows by linking GRMHD and GRPIC simulations across scales.
• Coordinate global simulations of accretion onto compact objects using GRMHD, GRPIC, and hybrid approaches.
• Connect theoretical models to observations, including constraints from X-ray polarimetry, EHT imaging, and infrared interferometry.