Gr@v students at Benasque
Gr@v students M. Brito, J. Ferreira and M. Mariano were amongst the participants of the New Frontiers in Strong Gravity meeting in Benasque, in July 2026.
Astrophysics
Astrophysics is an area concerning various physical ranging from planetary sized systems, to galactic scale systems and beyond, that intersects various disciplines such as Newtonian dynamics, relativistic physics and particle physics processes.
For our latest developments/activities in this area, please see the listing below at the end of this article.
Exoplanets
An exoplanet is a planet outside the Solar System. In the Milky Way galaxy, it is expected that there are many billions of planets (at least one planet, on average, orbiting around each star, resulting in 100–400 billion exoplanets), with many more free-floating planetary-mass bodies orbiting the galaxy directly.
We study the long-term dynamics of known multi-planet systems. This allow us to test the accuracy of the orbital parameters' determinations, as well as to understand how these systems evolved. We also look for the stable zones in the gaps between already-known planets in order to determine where is it possible to locate Earth-like planets.
See here a movie made by the PhD Animation on "Exoplanets Explained", for a review on the main observational methods used to detect exoplanets.
Latest Astrophysics Publications
Probing radiation micro-physics in M 87 I. Total intensity and broad-band spectra, C. M. Fromm, Y. Mizuno, Z. Younsi, A. Saiz-Perez, H. Olivares, A. Nathanail, A. Cruz-Osorio, M. Kadler, K. Mannheim; arXiv:2607.11439 [astro-ph.HE]
Publication type
Regular Articles
Detection of a second jet within the nuclear core of Mrk 501, S. Britzen, H. Olivares, Gopal-Krishna, F. Jaron, I. N. Pashchenko, E. Kun, F. K. Schinzel, J. Becerra González, D. Paneque, N. R. MacDonald; Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society (2026) stag291.
Publication type
Regular Articles
Locating the missing large-scale emission in the jet of M87* with short EHT baselines, B. Georgiev et al. (w/ H. Olivares); Astron. Astrophys. 709 (2026) A26; arXiv:2601.13356 [astro-ph.HE].
Publication type
Regular Articles
Spatially resolved polarization swings in the supermassive binary black hole candidate OJ 287 with first Event Horizon Telescope observations, J. L. Gómez et al. (w/ H. Olivares); Astron. Astrophys. 705 (2026) A23.
Publication type
Regular Articles
Ring Asymmetry and Spin in M87*, V. Bernshteyn et al. (w/ H. Olivares); Astron. Astrophys. 1000 (2026) 2, 231; arXiv:2601.00394 [astro-ph.HE].
Publication type
Regular Articles
Latest Astrophysics News & Events
Outreach talk on eclipses by Luis Crispino
The countdown to the 12 August solar eclipse keeps running! To prepare for the occasion, Prof. Luis Crispino from UFPA, in Brazil, will give an outreach talk on the topic on 29 July (18:00) at Fábrica – Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro. Everyone is welcome!
O céu é o Máximo
The countdown to the 12 August solar eclipse has begun! To mark the occasion, Máximo Ferreira, one of Portugal's best-known astronomy communicators, will present his new book O Céu é o Máximo! on 24 July (18:00) at Fábrica – Centro Ciência Viva de Aveiro. The conversation will be moderated by C. Herdeiro from Gr@v. If you're planning to enjoy next month's eclipse, this is a great way to get ready.
X Amazonian Workshop on Gravity and Analogue Models in Belém
The X Amazonian Workshop on Gravity and Analogue Models took place in Belém, Brazil. Since 2012 these events have gathered the international community on the topic, often with the participation of Gr@v (including the first edition). This edition was also part of the NewFunFiCO network.
Gr@v in EREP 2026
Member of Gr@v H. Olivares participated at the Spanish and Portuguese Relativity Meeting 2026, held in Murcia, Spain, to deliver an invited talk on simulating and observing black hole mimickers.